Who Wants to Live Forever
by Wylis
Summary: Cannon AU set during 'All Together Dead'. After bonding with Eric in Rhodes, Sookie begins to have strange dreams. Could there be more to their story then Sookie ever imagined?
1. Chapter 1

A/N:** My other story must be good for my brain because I'm just filled with ideas for new ones that won't wait! This one in particular got me all excited and I couldn't put off starting it.**

**This story starts during 'All Together Dead' on the night Eric and Sookie bond. **

**Even though the story is definitely AU, it parallels the last part of ATD and moves on into 'From Dead to Worse'. I'll be mentioning the things that happen in those books as they relate to the story, but I'm also assuming everyone has a decent memory of the major plot points in those books.**

**Also, because of where I chose to start I am inevitably, regrettably, forced to include Quinn in this story. Let me say right out I HATE Quinn. (I know not everyone does and that's cool. We're all entitled to our opinions, but that's where I stand on him.) I can't stand mentioning him and having to say anything even remotely complimentary of him makes me vomit in my mouth a little each time. But while Sookie is laboring under the delusion he's a good guy, I have to go with it- for a while. What happens in this story will be packing him up and moving him out well before his original expiration date in FDTW though, I promise.**

**This is an Eric and Sookie story!**

**Thank you SO much to my beta **Northman Maille** for jumping right on board for another story. Seriously, I work her to the bone and still she allows me to bask in her greatness! I'm a lucky girl!**

**Last note (and I promise there will not be an A/N this long for the rest of the story) I'm planning to update this story every Wednesday or Thursday, for the sake of consistency.**

Disclaimer:** I own nothing, again I just like messing with Sookie's head! **

"**This Thing That Builds our Dreams Yet Slips Away From Us"**

Too tired for tears, to worn out for hysterics, Sookie lay down beside Quinn, allowing him to wrap his arms around her. The peace and quiet of the room, the strength of the arms that held her, she knew they were deceptive comforts, but she took them anyway…gratefully.

The night hadn't started out so bad. In fact, right there at the beginning it seemed like the evening would be one of celebration and happiness. Russell and Bart, two Kings who never expected to marry for anything other than political gain, had managed to make a real love match. True love had found a way to flourish even in the most cynical of wastelands. It gave her hope.

Granted she wasn't anywhere near ready to take the step Russell and Bart had tonight, but still…. She had a man in her life now who liked her for who she was, not for her telepathy and what it could do for him. He wasn't harboring a secret agenda and merely pretending to care for her. He wasn't cold and cut off from his humanity. He'd never treated her like a possession to be owned or a prize to be won.

Sookie didn't believe, right then at that very moment, she was in love with Quinn. They just didn't know each other well enough yet, but she felt it might be a possibility someday in the future. This was the first time since Bill she'd held out hope her relationship might go the distance, and if it did…. They could get married. They could have children. They could grow old together. They could have a _real_ life together! She'd felt in such high spirits at those thoughts, more carefree and light than she'd been in a long time.

And then the night had gone to hell in a fairly large hand basket.

She'd been told about Quinn's past…by Jake. Why hadn't Quinn told her himself? He couldn't possibly believe she'd blame him for the things he'd been forced to do to protect his family! If anything they made her want to care for him all the more, to give him the tenderness and affection in which his life had been so lacking.

But hearing it from someone else…knowing Quinn hadn't trusted her enough, it raised questions about how much of himself he would really be willing to give her. If he didn't feel he could tell her the most basic things about his life, what else could he be hiding?

Reeling from Jake's revelations Sookie hadn't even realized she was walking straight into the path of trouble. Then, suddenly, Andre was dragging her out of the ballroom and into the deserted hall, intent on shoving his blood down her throat and forcing a connection between them Sookie knew there was no way she could live with.

And into all this mess had walked Eric.

He'd offered to save the day, to bond with her in Andre's place. She knew she should be grateful. To be honest a part of her was. But another part of her, the scared part, was screaming that bonding to Eric was just as dangerous to her well-being, in its own way.

Not because she thought he would cruelly enslave her to his will, but because it was one more layer of her defenses against him gone. One more weapon lost in the fight to always remember the man she'd loved so dearly, for that single solitary week, was not the man, the Vampire, who wore his face now.

That Eric, her Eric, had been as close to the man of her dreams as any man would ever come. She'd told him, when he stayed with her, what she felt for him wasn't love but it was close. She knew now she'd only said that to try and protect herself from the inevitable pain his remembering would bring. Lying to oneself though, was a difficult thing. You could say a thing over and over and over but that wouldn't make it true.

On so many nights since the one when Eric had regained his memory, she'd laid awake and cried, missing him. Hating herself for missing him. Hating him for making her miss him and not even knowing it. On one of those endless nights she'd finally given up the lie.

She'd loved him.

She'd loved him more than she would ever love anyone else, and now he was gone. Her Eric was gone just as surely as if he'd died, when the truth was, he'd never really existed at all. And in his place was someone Sookie hardly knew.

This new Eric wasn't even like the one she'd known before his amnesia. She couldn't trade sarcasm and laughter with him. She couldn't flirt with him, fight with him, feel easy in his presence. He was distant, sullen; angry with her for not giving up the secrets of their time together, even though she_ knew _there was no way he could actually handle the truth.

He wanted her to lay all her cards on the table, but when she did she knew he wouldn't do the same. Or worse, maybe he would. Then she would have to face the truth, once and for all, he could never again be the man he was when he stayed with her. He would_ never_ be able to feel for her what she'd felt for him.

And now they were bound to each other. Now he would be able to feel every emotion she had and she would be able to feel all of his as well. How would she ever be able to live like this?

To put the fetid cherry on top of her rotted shit cake of a night, she'd managed to pick up a soda can bomb on her way to the Queen's rooms and nearly got herself, Quinn and Eric blown to tiny pieces. Oh and she'd had to stand in front of the Queen and calmly hear how said Queen couldn't care less if Sookie was angry about one of her servants attempting to abuse her on Sophie's own orders.

As her exhaustion finally won out over her stress, Sookie closed her eyes, welcoming the blissful oblivion of sleep. A few years ago she would have said tomorrow couldn't possibly be as bad as today had been. She would have thought no day could be as bad. But that wasn't true anymore. Since Vampires had come into her life, it seemed the fat lady didn't sing until someone took a shot at her. She'd need all the peace and rest sleep could give her and she knew it….

_Drawing in a lung full of chilled air, Sookie savored the smell. It was so cold, so clean, she'd never smelled anything like it. Yet it was familiar._

_She was running, running as though her life depended on it, her feet soundlessly taking the uneven, mossy floor of a vast forest, with the ease of person who'd been there many times before. As she traveled on sure legs through the brush and undergrowth her skirts swished around her ankles._

_Looking down on them she was astonished by the sight. Her dress was long, made of a rough woolen material in a light shade of blue. Her feet were encased in what looked like crude leather boots. Lifting her eyes a little she found her dress was covered by a white apron, held together at each shoulder by metal broaches._

_Stopping suddenly, Sookie found herself before a small stream that cut a path through the forest. She wondered if she should take the time to stop. She'd been running, but she didn't feel as though she were in danger. In fact she felt quite free and happy, and she was thirsty from all the exertion. _

_Making the decision for her, her legs took her over to the stream. Seeing the sunlight cutting through the trees to dance on the surface of the water, she bent down. The shocked gasp that tore from her lips was the first sound she'd made, as she froze, her hand suspended in the act of scooping water. She couldn't have helped it if she'd tried. The reflection that shone back to her from the water's surface was hers and yet…not._

_She was a little girl again, not more than six or seven. She remembered her face looking like this in pictures from Gran's photo album, but that was the only thing about her appearance that was in any way familiar to her. _

_Her hair hung in a long braid which fell over one shoulder, nearly to her waist. On top of her woolen dress was a cloak in a darker shade of blue lined with white fur, the hood resting around her neck to keep the chill air from penetrating to her vulnerable skin. _

_She was herself, but dressed and in a place she had never seen before, yet somehow knew completely._

_Startled and confused, though not yet afraid, Sookie reached out a slightly shaking hand to touch the water. Her fingers were not a millimeter from the gleaming surface when she was hauled off her feet by something larger than her and quite strong._

_Screaming in real fright, Sookie began to fight, kicking her legs out, flailing her arms, and struggling to get free from whomever or whatever had a hold of her. She was nearly hysterical with her terror when she heard the sound of laughter behind her._

"_Gotcha!" The voice said._

_Suddenly Sookie was free. Stumbling a few steps, now she was all of a sudden expected to support her own weight again, she turned around to find out who had grabbed her. It was a boy. _

_He was only a few years older than her, she didn't know how she knew this but she did, and very tall. His blond hair, the exact same shade as her own, was long and wild, floating around his face and falling to just past his shoulders. His clothes were a match to hers, a woolen tunic over leather pants, the same type of crude leather boots and a vest made of fur to keep him warm, tied at the waist with a leather belt, a large metal buckle adorning it._

_He was the most beautiful boy she'd ever seen and when he laughed again, in triumph at having caught her, Sookie's eyes were drawn to his. She gasped again when she saw them. Not because they were the color of the ocean during a storm. Not because they were large and finely shaped. Not because they were rimmed in the most lovely, long ashen colored lashes, but because she knew those eyes. She would never, _could never,_ mistake them._

"_It's my turn now." She heard herself saying. _

_She hadn't meant to speak, hadn't even thought about it, but it was as if her mouth was working independently of her mind. When she turned around and walked over to a tree, hiding her face against the cracked bark and closed her eyes, she realized her whole body was in fact, working independently from her brain._

"_One, two, three…." She counted to thirty and then her eyes popped open._

_Turning around swiftly, her long braid whipping out in an arch and flying until it fell against her other shoulder, she cried out loudly._

"_Hiding or not, here I come!" _

_She began to move swiftly and soundlessly through the forest once more. Somehow she knew where he would be, in the hollow of the old tree that had fallen two winters ago during the snowy season. He loved that spot and it wasn't far off._

_Quiet as a mouse she snuck up on the tree, knowing if he saw her and took off at a run, with his long legs, she'd never be able to catch him. Picking up a rock from the ground she threw it to the left of the tree and sure enough she heard the sound of her playmate running out of the log towards the right. _

_He had just a hand out of the log when she jumped in front of him, throwing her arms around his waist._

"_Gotcha!" she said, smiling smugly up at him._

_The scowl on his face lasted only a second before he tipped his head back and laughed loud and long again, his arms wrapping tight around her. He was never a sore loser. In fact he seemed to genuinely like that she was the only one who was smart enough to challenge him at games like this._

"_One more round?" he asked letting her go after a moment._

_Sookie found herself shaking her head, her smile fading a little. She wanted to stay out here with him. She loved running free in the woods, smiling and laughing with him. But she knew if she stayed longer she'd be in a world of trouble._

"_I have to get back. I still have chores to do." _

_His scowl was back._

"_Just tell them you were with me. They can't get mad at you. You can tell them I commanded you." His voice suddenly took on an imperious tone._

_Sookie shook her head and found herself rolling her eyes as she pushed past him, her feet again seeming to know where she was going even if her mind didn't._

"_That isn't going to work oh wise and mighty Prince. Some of us have responsibilities." She teasingly scolded him._

_She heard him snort from behind her and turned._

"_You could help me?" she offered. _

_She hadn't actually expected him to accept. Why would any boy, but especially him, want to help her feed chickens and goats. Maybe if she were setting traps for the rabbits in the woods…. But to her astonishment he smiled wide and nodded his head, closing the gap between them in three long strides and then taking off past her at a run. Huffing in indignation she called after him._

"_Hey, no fair! Wait for me. Eric!"….._

Sookie's eyes snapped open. She gasped for air as though she really had been running as fast as she could to catch up to someone. She'd had vivid dreams before but never like this one. She'd never felt like she could smell the air, taste the cold, feel the ground beneath her feet like that.

It felt real. It still felt real!

Looking around, trying to orient herself, she found she was exactly where she'd fallen asleep the night before: in Quinn's hotel room, in Quinn's bed. Only the sun was shining brightly through the open curtains now and she was completely alone. Turning to the clock on the bed she saw it was late in the afternoon. Quinn must have taken pity on her after the night she'd had and let her stay asleep even though he had to be up and taking care of things for the trial.

He was always such a gentleman, so kind and considerate of her.

Shaking off her strange dream, Sookie slipped back into her clothes and shoes and made her way to her room to change. She could only hope, in vain probably, that today would be better than one before it.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N:** I just have to say a HUGE thank you to everyone. I was so blown away by the response to the first chapter. You guys just blew me away! Thank you so much!**

**Also I'll say that I've been reading a lot of books about Scandinavia during the Viking period, but I'm an American girl so, if I get anything factually incorrect I mean no offense. I just love the period and Eric in the period, I couldn't resist.**

**Thanks as always to my FABULOUS beta **Northman Maille**. She is such a wonder! My biggest cheerleader, my most awesome brainstorming buddy. I would be lost without her!**

Disclaimer:** I own nothing…I'm just reserving a spot in the psych ward for poor Sookie.**

"**This World has Only One Sweet Moment Set Aside for Us"**

Yep, if Sookie were a gambling woman, she would have cleaned out the house tonight. Not only had this evening been just as bad as last (if not worse), someone had indeed taken a shot at her. Only this time it had been with an arrow instead of bullet.

These little impredictabilities, they were the spice of life. Spice Sookie was coming to believe she no longer wanted. Plain toast with butter, that's what her life had been like once (well as close to it as a telepath could ever get) and she was beginning to want that back…badly.

It had turned out to be Quinn who'd jumped in front of the arrow, during the Queen's trial, saving her from death, most likely. Which was why he was lying in the infirmary now. It also had a good deal to do with why she was kissing him. That and to assure him bonding with Eric would not get in the way of this thing they were starting.

She'd admitted to Eric, after they'd taken Quinn away on a stretcher, that she had loved him when he'd had no memories. But she'd also told him she knew the truth: he wasn't really that person and she knew he'd never be again.

It had steeled her resolve to say the words out loud, especially to his face. Her Eric was gone… for good. He could never love her like he had then, and she would never settle for being his telepathic property and occasional sex toy, ignoring the truth just to feel his arms around her again.

Of course then they'd danced and she _had _felt his arms around her. His arms, strong and sure, held her tightly, possessively, almost lovingly. His scent invaded her senses. His eyes, bright and beautiful, all but glamoured her into forgetting all her righteous resolve without even trying. All as he twirled her two feet above the floor.

She'd come so close to losing herself in that moment. If someone had asked her, right then, where her boyfriend was or even who he was, she wouldn't have been able to say. It had fled her mind completely following right behind her reason. All she saw, all she felt, all she wanted was Eric.

Pulling back from Quinn, she examined his face. He was still hurt, of course, the wound from the arrow he'd taken for her would need another night or two to heal. But he didn't look teary anymore.

"I'm sorry." she said blushing furiously.

"Don't ever apologize for a kiss like that." He replied, a dreamy smile on his face. "We definitely have something going on, Sookie. I don't want Andre's Vampire crap ruining it."

"Me either." She responded feeling so relieved all the mess over the last forty-eight hours hadn't driven him away.

Turning to leave she reminded herself Quinn was a good man. One who understood this world she felt as though she were drowning in. One who could protect and guide her through it, yet still give her the normalcy she'd always longed for. She was glad he still seemed to want to.

She wouldn't, absolutely WOULD NOT, give away her chance at a happy, (semi)normal life for a breathless dance and a memory that might haunt her forever, but could never be a reality again.

Intent on getting back to the festivities so she could pay her respects to the Queen and then get herself the heck to bed, Sookie hurried down the hall to the elevator. The car was waiting for her when she pushed the button and she stepped in, hitting the floor number for the ballroom.

The ride took no more than a minute but when the doors opened….

"_Two please." Sookie said, handing over her coins and putting her purchase in the basket her mother had given her. _

_She was just getting ready to move to the next stall. Taking her time to browse, even though she knew she had only enough coins for the things her mother had instructed her to buy. _

_She was looking at a roll of lovely yellow silk when she felt a tug on her braid. It wasn't hard and it didn't hurt, but it took her attention off all the lovely things she could make with that sunny silk and put it firmly on the face her hair puller. Which of course had been her hair puller's objective._

_He was older this time, thirteen or fourteen, and even more beautiful. He might have been still mostly a boy, but he already had the height of a full grown man. His shoulders were broad and muscled from hours practicing with a sword. His stance had the confidence of someone who was special and knew it, but his eyes, there was no swagger there, no smirk. They were soft and warm and seemed filled with affection._

_Somehow Sookie knew that affection was genuine. Just as she knew they were friends, the best of friends. Catching sight of herself in a silver tray mounted on one of the walls of a stall, she realized she was older now too, eleven perhaps twelve years of age. Again her face was exactly the way it had been when she was really that age, but everything else was different._

"_Are you free?" He asked her, drawing her attention again._

_She smiled at him indulgently, adoringly._

"_I will be once I finish getting everything my mother sent me for." She answered, picking up her basket and beginning to walk. Only this time she bypassed several merchants displaying jewelry and other pretty things and went straight to the next item on her list._

_Eric seemed content to follow along with her and with him there, miraculously, the price of everything she'd been sent for suddenly decreased significantly. She didn't know if it was the fact no one would dare to try and cheat the son of the Chieftain, or if it was because most of the vendors were girls and women of various ages. They all seemed terribly distracted by his handsomeness. Maybe they simply weren't paying attention to anything as trite as the cost of their wares. In fact they seemed to ignore her and her money altogether unless it was to pin her with looks of envy._

_Sookie had to stifle a laugh. They were always so jealous and she had no idea why. It was true Eric didn't seem to pay any attention to the other girls in the village, only to her, but that was because they were friends. While she'd often wished they could be more (She wasn't any more immune to him than anyone else, perhaps even less so since she knew him and knew his physical beauty was only the icing on the cake.), she wasn't stupid. _

_Even if Eric could ever feel like that for her, something she sincerely doubted, he was also the second son of a Chieftain. That meant he would be expected to make a good match when the time came, not too far off now, for him to marry. _

_None of the girls from the village would be good enough. He would be expected to make an alliance with another Chieftain's daughter to further their people's well-being and prosperity. Just as his elder brother was doing later on this summer, when he married Aude the eldest daughter of the Chieftain of their closest neighbors to the south._

_Sookie had always assumed this was why Eric never paid attention to any of the other girls, even as they started to mature into beautiful young women. He knew what was expected of him and he was ready and waiting to do his duty._

_Shaking off her silly thoughts, Sookie realized she had everything she'd been sent for and started to head back towards her family's house. She didn't make it five steps before Eric grabbed her basket in one hand and her wrist in the other and began striding, all but dragging her right along with him, towards the woods._

_They walked, or rather he walked and she trotted to keep up with him since he still hadn't let go of her hand, until they got to their favorite spot, the great hollow tree trunk in the woods. Setting her basket down carefully, Eric perched on the trunk, his eyes bright and excited. _

"_My father has finally said yes!" Eric blurted out, pride swelling his chest._

_Sookie smiled wide knowing he wanted her to be happy for him, proud of him, even if the truth was she was a little scared as well. Eric had been begging his father for two summers already to let him go a Viking with the other men of the village. Technically Eric had already been a 'man' for two years, but his father was always, rightfully so she supposed, wary with the lives of his two eldest sons. The younger Sverri was the elder Sverri's heir and Eric was…well the spare. Still, Sookie knew Eric's father didn't see it in that cynical light. Eric was every bit as loved as his brother, perhaps more._

_It was why Sverri hadn't wanted Eric to go just yet. But Eric, ever too smart for everyone else's good, had argued eloquently for his right. Even if he were the second son, he still held a place of honor in their tiny community and no man worth his metal would follow an inexperienced boy no matter what his station. If Eric were to take his place among his people he needed to earn it and the only way to do that was to fight and raid right along with them._

"_How soon do you leave?" She asked, trying hard to maintain her smile. _

_Normally she would know these things, but her father had been injured last summer, losing his sword arm at the elbow. He was lucky to be alive, but there would certainly be no more Viking for him._

"_Two weeks if the weather holds." Eric answered, the excitement evident in his voice. _

_Sookie only nodded. She knew it would be bad luck to tell him to be careful as she wanted to. It would lead him and perhaps any of the gods that might be listening to believe she didn't have faith in him and his ability to fight and protect himself._

"_Will you miss me while I'm away?" He asked, his smile turning from pride to mischief._

_Sookie only snorted. She loved him, she did, more than she should, but she'd never been one to inflate 'the prince's ego. There were far too many others who were willing to do it on a daily basis. She'd come to think of it as her job to keep his feet on the ground and his head out of the clouds._

"_I don't know if I'll find the time." She sighed in a put upon way. "Kjell and his father visited our house last night to make an offer for my hand. I may very well be preparing for a wedding while you're gone." _

_In truth she was worried the offer might go somewhere. Kjell's family were merchants, wealthy, landowning and safe. Exactly what her father wanted for her. She knew when the time came the choice wouldn't be hers, but she had hoped to have a little more time before she became someone's wife. After all when it finally happened there would be no more carefree hours spent in the woods with Eric. Still Eric didn't need to know how much she was dreading it. It would be good for him to know she wasn't simply his simpering shadow._

"_Are you happy about this?" He asked her, all the enthusiasm suddenly gone from his voice as his face fell, shadows clouding over his bright smile._

_Sookie could only shrug._

"_He wrote me a lovely poem." She answered, as nonchalantly as possible._

"_Does your father know?" Eric was suddenly up from his wood seat and pacing the forest floor._

"_Of course not!" She answered indignant now, that he thought her so stupid. Such things were unseemly. If anyone found out Kjell had written her such a thing and she'd accepted it, they would have been betrothed on the spot, they would have had to be. Her honor would have been compromised. "I hid it in my sleeve and waited for everyone to fall asleep. Then I burned it." She said matter-of-factly. "It was still a nice poem though." She added when she saw his puzzling relief._

_That seemed to upset him all over again and he turned from her, kicking a few stones that lay near his feet as though he were attempting to injure them._

"_Eric what on earth is wrong with you?" She asked coming up behind him, attempting to put her hand on his shoulder. He flinched away at the last moment._

"_Do you want to marry Kjell?" He asked her, his voice rough and angry, even as he refused to look at her._

_Huffing, Sookie shrugged again. She wasn't sure what he wanted her to say._

"_Does it matter? Kjell is…nice and he comes from a good family. What else is there? Things like this aren't for us to decide, you know that. Your marriage won't be either." _

_Eric's back remained to her and finally she gave up and decided she'd wasted enough time if all they were going to do was argue, especially when she didn't understand why they were._

"_And if it was?" She heard him ask, just as she grabbed her basket._

_Straightening up she turned to him again. He was facing her this time a look she couldn't place on his face. She could feel herself panicking. What did he want her to say? That she loved him? That she only wanted him?_

_It was the truth, of course. It had been since that day when she was four and he was six and she'd been following after her brother, who was riding out with some of the other boys to play. She'd wanted to go to, but her brother wouldn't let her. They didn't want to play with a baby, he said!_

_Sookie had been left standing there, tears she refused to let fall, stinging her eyes as she watched her brother and the other boys ride off. It was almost a full minute before she realized one of the boys hadn't gone. He trotted his horse, a beautiful white gelding, over to her and without a word grabbed her arm and lifted her up to sit in front of him on his saddle._

_The horse was already moving when she'd found her voice._

"_Why didn't you ride off with the others?" She asked, her words still shaking a little._

"_You know who I am?" He asked, looking down on her, confident his horse knew where to take them._

_Sookie nodded._

"_My father would be disappointed if I blindly followed someone just because they were older, or because everyone else was. Besides, the only reason your brother doesn't want to play with you is because you're already better at all the games than he is." His voice was filled with the kind of confidence a six year old shouldn't have acquired yet._

"_But don't you want to play with my brother and the others?" She asked, her voice cracking at the end with her cautious hope._

"_No. I want to play with you. " He said. "I like a challenge." He added a smirk lighting his face._

_They'd gone off in a different direction than the others and spent the whole day in the forest, hunting rabbits and playing hide and seek. It had been the best day of Sookie's life up till then and she'd admitted long ago, at least to herself, she'd been in love with Eric from that moment on._

_Still, they weren't children anymore and what she wanted, no matter how much she wanted it, would never be a possibility. _

"_We should get back." She said, her tone firm as she began to walk. "We're getting too old, to be playing in the woods anymore. Besides, you might not, but I have to think of my reputation." The words hurt her to say, but they were necessary. No matter how much she hated them._

_She was about to pass Eric by, without even looking at him when she felt his hand on her arm, stopping her from moving. _

_His eyes were big, dark and intense and then suddenly her basket dropped as he took hold of her other arm and hauled her against him. The first touch of his lips on hers was fierce, demanding and needy all at the same time. But it didn't last long. Their feelings for each other…they weren't angry or dark. They were everything that was good in the world, even if they were too young to understand that._

_Within a moment Eric had freed Sookie's arms and she'd wound them around his neck. His own came up to band around her middle as they'd done so many times before when they'd innocently hugged each other. Only this time his hands splayed wide on her back, touching as much of her as he could, caressing her with something stronger than simple affection._

_Where their mouths met there was nothing but sweetness, his gentle on hers, his tongue playing softly at the seam of her lips, begging her to let him in. How could she refuse? She'd never refused him anything._

_They stood there like that for long moments until they had to break to breathe. Still, Eric didn't let go and neither did she._

"_I love you Sookie." His voice breathless but sure. "I always have. You can't marry Kjell or anyone else. I want you to marry me! Will you?" _

_Her mind might have been stunned, but it didn't matter, her head was more than happy to nod her assent without waiting for instructions._

"_Say it Sookie." He whispered into her ear as he bent to kiss the shell of it, before letting his lips slide down the column of her throat._

_Sookie's head fell back and her knees seemed to buckle, but it didn't matter, Eric was holding her tight._

"_Yes." She breathed. "Yes, I'll marry you!" She saw the bright flash of his eyes, one more time before his lips were on hers again and everything else seemed to cease existing…._

Shaking her head viciously, still able to feel the phantom press of his kiss on her lips, Sookie came back to herself. She stumbled out of the elevator, trying to find her footing as her mind reeled.

What the holy eff was going on? Dreams where one thing, but this…this was something else entirely! She'd just had a…(what?) a daydream a vision here in the hotel elevator while wide awake!

Was this because of Eric's blood, like catching snippets of Vampire thoughts? Or was she simply going mad? All the stress and pressure finally pushing her over the edge into a fantasy world where she could have everything she'd ever wanted, as long as she checked her sanity at the door.

Looking up ahead of her she saw Clovache, the Britlingen, standing guard in front of the ballroom. Sookie walked up to her, nodding in greeting.

"He seems like a good man." Clovache said, without preamble, in her harsh accent. Sookie got the impression she wasn't a woman for subtlety.

At first it took Sookie a moment to remember everything that happened before her vision and realize the warrior woman was talking about Quinn. Yes, Clovache was right, Sookie thought to herself in a firm inner voice, Quinn WAS a good man. And he was her boyfriend to boot. She shouldn't be thinking about any other man, no less daydreaming about marrying one who'd been dead a thousand years.

"He seems that way to me too." Sookie answered, trying to keep the guilt out of her voice.

"While Vampires, by definition, are twisty and deceptive."

Sookie wondered briefly if she weren't the only telepath in the hall. Had Clovache known she was thinking about Eric? How she'd been thinking about Eric?

"By definition? You mean without exceptions?" She found herself asking.

"I do." Clovache answered, her voice hard.

Sookie kept silent, not knowing why Clovache had felt the need to tell her that and not able to handle trying to figuring it out.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: **Just wanted to say again, a huge thank you to everyone who's hopped on board for this new story! I'm very, very humbled by the response.**

**And thank you to my awesome beta (the Gracious Plenty of editors) Northman Mallie! You rock my world!**

Disclaimer:** I own nothing…I'm just justifying a nice long psychiatric stay for Sookie, and blowing some stuff up!**

"**Touch my Tears with Your Lips"**

_Sookie wove the last flower through the wooden ring and sat back on her heels to look at her creation. This crown of flowers was the prettiest one she'd made so a far (which honestly wasn't saying much) but, it was also the third one she'd made in as many weeks. _

_For almost a month she, and the rest of the village, had been waiting. She spent every morning, before she had to begin her chores, and every afternoon, when her duties were finished, looking out over the water. She squinted desperately in an attempt to see even the tiniest glimpse of what might be a ship coming over the horizon._

_Eric, his elder brother Sverri, and most of the other able bodied men of the village had gone a Viking for the summer as they always did. Only this time they were late. They should have been home weeks ago and still there was no sign of them. _

_It wasn't the first time such a thing had happened, but it never boded well. It was hard to control the fear and anxiety, and be patient, when it was one of your loved ones who might not come back. As the days turned into weeks Sookie found herself becoming more and more terrified she might never see Eric again._

"_There, what do you think?" Sookie turned to examine the flower crown Aude was holding up._

_She was a kind and enjoyable person who had almost become like an elder sister to Sookie in the two years she and Eric had been betrothed. It might have been because Aude had come to their village to marry Sverri and was alone, except for his family. Or it might have been that she was naturally open and affectionate, but either way Aude had treated her as true friend since the moment Sookie's engagement to Eric had become public knowledge._

_Today Aude had dragged Sookie off the beach and insisted she come for a walk and some un-salted air. They'd gone to a meadow that was always brimming over with wildflowers at this time of year and Aude and insisted they fashion another crown for the wedding feast. It would take place as soon as the men returned and, as the bride, Sookie should have one as lovely and fresh as possible._

"_It's gorgeous!" Sookie said. _

_It truly was. Aude had a knack for creating beautiful things, but even if it had been awful Sookie would have lied. She was truly grateful for all of Aude's attempts to cheer and distract her. Especially because her soon to be sister-in-law was heavily pregnant. In the two years since she'd married Sverri, Aude had already been pregnant once but the child had been stillborn. She was trying hard to take the best care of herself this time, and to be especially cautious. It made Sookie even more appreciative her friend would take the time to think of her._

_It also made Sookie careful to be conscious of how much they did. At this moment, for instance, Sookie decided they had been out in the hot sun too long, and it was time to take her friend back, make sure she ate and drank well, and got to bed early._

_Standing up and dusting off her skirts, Sookie helped Aude to her feet and the two made the walk back to the village at a leisurely pace. As they passed people, they were both given hearty hellos and respectful nods. _

_For Aude it was nothing new. She'd been the daughter of a Chieftain and now she was the wife of a future one. She was well accustomed to people treating her so, and took it all in with a serene, un-haughty grace. But for Sookie, it was still new and a bit uncomfortable. _

_It wasn't as though she was a different person. But to these people, whom she'd known all her life, she'd suddenly gone from being just one amongst them to being, so they seemed to think, the best of them. It often left her flustered. Especially because it wasn't just the other members of the village who treated her differently now, it was her family as well._

_The truth of the thing was, no matter how much she'd always loved Eric, no matter how ecstatic she'd been that day in the forest, when he'd confessed to loving her every bit as deeply as she did him, a part of her had been convinced their wedding would never happen._

_In matters of marriage no one was their own master. No matter how much she and Eric loved each other, the decision didn't rest with them. But where Sookie knew her family would be only too happy to agree to this match, she felt deeply doubtful Eric's father would ever allow it. Eric was the second of six living children, only three of whom were sons. It would be imprudent for Sverri to waste a marriageable son (his most marriageable in Sookie's opinion) by letting him take a wife below him in station. _

_So when Eric had kissed her one last time, full and long, conveying every ounce of his passion and love for her, and then ran off to speak to his father, Sookie had held on tight to desolate tears. Their beautiful declarations and sweet moments in the forest were like an enchantment, making them believe all was possible, when really nothing could be farther from the truth. Still, she would never have said no. Even if his family would not allow it, she wanted him to know she had wanted to be his._

_The whole lonely walk back to her family's house, she'd had visions of Eric's father yelling and throwing things, angry Eric had made promises that weren't his to make. She'd had nightmares that night about Sverri commanding her father to accept the match with Kjell for her, so Eric's temptation would be removed._

_The next day she didn't see Eric at all, and it only added to her quickly escalating feelings of hopelessness. But on the next night, just as the younger members of the family were preparing for bed, there was a noise outside. Her grandfather, still the patriarch of her family, had risen from his seat at the long table just in time to see Sverri walk in, accompanied by Eric. The conversation had been short and to the point (the details to be worked out later) but essentially Sverri had asked for Sookie's hand on Eric's behalf and Sookie's grandfather, stunned and completely disbelieving, had given his consent without a second thought._

_The whole time Eric had stood very solemnly behind his father, attempting to look serious and grown up, but when Sookie's grandfather had consented, he'd turned to her, as though he'd known exactly where she was in the vast room the whole time, and winked._

"_How did you get him to say yes?" Sookie asked the next day when Eric accosted her on her way back from bathing in the lake._

_He kissed the top of her wet head and put his arm possessively around her waist, gripping her hip and molding her side to his. _

"_I told him I loved you." He answered simply, his face beaming with pride, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world._

"_And that was it? He just said, 'oh yes of course Eric throw your future away on a village girl with nothing to offer you'." _

_Eric's face became dark at her words and he stopped walking, releasing her waist only to grab her arms and bringing her close once more._

"_Don't ever talk about yourself like that again, as though you're worthless!" He hissed. "Your father might not see anything but his _beloved _sons, and your mother might not care about anything but giving him more to keep him happy, but you _are not_ worthless!_

_And yes, frankly, that _was_ it. My father has always known how much we care for each other. He has had years of seeing the kind of girl you are and that you are good for me. You love me, you care for me, but you don't simper and flatter. You make me work hard for everything, whether it's to beat you at something, or to win your approval. _

_He's old Sookie, he doesn't have much longer to spend on this earth, and I think he feels the need to know he did right by those he loves. He might have said yes out of a genuine desire to see me happy, or it might have been sentimentality. Whatever the reason he agreed and I will love him, even more than I already do, to my dying day for it. And when_ he_ dies I will erect a great monument to him, covered in runes praising his goodness, fairness and wisdom._

_And when you and I give him grandchildren, strong, brave sons and beautiful, wise daughters, I think he'll feel it was worth giving up some imagined alliance." The whole time he'd been looking at her with a gaze as fierce and hard as steel, and when he'd talked about how her love made him feel, the doubts had left her mind._

"_Oh." Was all she said. She hoped the bright, wide smile on her face was enough to tell him, no matter how Sverri's consent had been obtained, she couldn't have been happier about it!_

_The formal contract had been agreed upon a week later. Despite both Sookie's parents, and Eric's, believing it would be best to wait two years (until Eric was sixteen and Sookie fourteen) for the actual marriage to occur, Sookie had been treated as a member of the Chieftain's family from that day on._

_And like that, her own family seemed to really notice her for the first time. _

_Her father, who'd never cared to have much to do with her, suddenly proudly introduced her as his daughter, the future wife of the Chieftain's son, whenever they met strangers. Her mother had taken the time to make her pretty new dresses, since her old ones no longer befit a lady of her station. And her brothers, who'd always been at best dismissive and at worse neglectful, suddenly seemed to like her._

_It made her sad in a way, since they were only treating her as though she had value because of who she was to marry. But she tried not to let it bother her. Eric had always seen her for who and what she was and that was why he loved her enough to challenge tradition and duty. With him, she would never have to be anyone but herself and she would never have to fear her real self wasn't enough._

_After helping Eric and Sverri's mother tuck Aude in, Sookie went home, ate with her family and went off to the bed she shared with her eldest niece. Hanging the flower crown Aude made her on the wall peg closest to her bed, she said a small prayer for Eric and the other men, and then lay down to toss and turn for most of the night. Sometime before sunrise she finally fell into a deep sleep, which was why it had taken Sigdis, her niece, shaking her violently to get her to wake up._

"_Sookie, Sookie wake up! Ships! There are ships on the horizon!" Sookie's eyes popped open and she vaulted out of bed, hurrying to dress and braid her hair. Taking one look in the silver mirror on the wall, she supposed she looked as good as anyone who'd just jumped out of bed, and ran after Sigdis to the beach._

_There were ships. They were close enough now to tell they were the right ones too. But where there had been three before, now there were only two. _

_Sookie jumped slightly as she felt someone take her arm. Turning her head, she saw it was Aude. The two of them exchanged fearful glances. Sverri and Eric had each captained a boat, and the third was led by their cousin Thorvalder. One of those ships was missing, but they weren't close enough yet to tell which one hadn't made it back._

_The next half hour was an excruciating torture of waiting, as the boats made their way to the dock. Ten minutes before they'd been able to drop anchor they'd been visible enough to see it was Sverri's ship which wasn't among them, and Aude had gripped Sookie's hand with such force Sookie could no longer feel her fingers._

"_Don't fear." Sookie had tried to reassure her. "It doesn't mean anything. It might have been damaged and they were forced to abandon it. But Sverri and his men are probably aboard the other ships. You'll see." _

_Despite hoping against hope her guess had been correct. Sookie began to have a sinking feeling it wasn't. When the ships finally dropped anchor and the men started to disembark there were wild cries all around them. Some were happy, families seeing their husbands, fathers and sons making their way towards them and some were anguished._

_A storm off the Scottish coast had blown them badly off course . During the storm Sverri's ship had been hit by lightning. It had burned until it sunk. Most of the men had jumped ship but in the terrible wind and rain, and with the water unforgivingly harsh, only a handful made it to Thorvalder's boat, which had been closest. Sverri, was not one of them._

_It fell to Eric to tell his sister-in-law her husband, the father of her unborn child, would not be coming home. _

_In grief, Aude had fled, running off to lose herself to her pain in private. Sookie's heart ached for her and she felt tears streaming down her own face as she watched Aude flee the beach. Theirs had been an arranged marriage, but she knew Aude and Sverri had very quickly fallen in love._

_Turning back to face Eric, she saw tears in his eyes as well and knew he was grieving for his brother, but also probably feeling guilty and responsible for what happened. Not caring a jot for what anyone might think, Sookie threw her arms around him and held him close, trying to shelter and comfort every inch of his much larger frame, as she laid soft kisses along the tracks of his tears._

"_I'm so sorry Eric." She whispered as she kissed the wetness from his cheeks._

"_I didn't help him." Eric sobbed into her neck._

"_You couldn't have. You would have been killed too. There was nothing you could do, Eric. This is the will of the Gods and we have to accept it." He nodded dumbly and straightened, wiping away the remaining wetness from his face. _

"_I love you." He whispered, not really able to say more._

"_I love you too." She answered, not needing to know anything else._

_They walked back to the village hand in hand. There was such a mixture of mourning and celebration it was impossible to know what one should feel, but for Sookie there was only joy._

_To have Eric alive, safe, and at home, she would give anything…._

"Wake up Sookie, wake up!"

Sookie's eyes snapped open. Something had forced her awake. No, someone had forced her awake…Barry!

"Barry, where are you?" She answered back without words.

"Standing at the elevator on the Human floor." His inner voice was jumpy, agitated as if he were bouncing from one leg to the other inside his head.

"Hang on, I'm coming." Sookie responded.

Something told her there was no time to search the closet for something clean to wear. Throwing on her suit from the night before, a pair of rubber soled slippers instead of her heels, and grabbing her small purse with her keycard, ID and credit card, Sookie ran out of her room and down the hall.

To get to the elevators Sookie had to go down a long corridor and around a corner. It hadn't seemed like such a long way on any of the other days she'd been here, but now it felt as though the elevators where clear on the other side of the world and the entire time she could hear Barry, losing it in her head. 'Something is wrong, something is going to happen', it was like a mantra he repeated over and over.

The floor had been all but devoid of life, most of the Humans still sleeping off their long, Vampire filled nights, but as Sookie rounded the corner she found someone. He was just lying there in the middle of the floor…Jake Purifoy.

Up until that moment reality had somehow managed to retain a dream like quality. After all, she was clearly losing her mind, right? Dreaming things that couldn't possibly be, why should this be any different?

But when her startled cry at seeing Jake, brought Barry barreling down the hall, Sookie's mind seemed to snap back into place. Something_ was_ wrong! Something_ was_ going to happen!

"We have to find Mr. Cataliades, now!" She found herself saying, her mind kicking into high gear.

The next minutes flew by more like snap shots than a coherent stream of consciousness.

They found the demon lawyer, warned him of the imminent danger and watched him go off to protect the Queen's party. Knowing there was too much to do, Sookie had called Quinn, telling him to get himself and Frannie out of the building right away. Barry's roommate, Cecile, had pulled the fire alarm, ensuring everyone who could, would be leaving the building right away. Then Barry and Cecile had gone off to try and get their people out of the building safely, leaving Sookie by herself.

There were so many people in this building, more than a few who meant something to her, but with Lord only knew how much time before the building went up in flames or exploded into a bright ball of heated masonry and glass, there was only one place her heart was calling her. If there was only person she could get to before it all went to hell, one person she could save, Sookie didn't even have to think about who it would be.

It didn't matter she was still angry at him for choosing to take Andre's place instead of stopping the Queen's deranged child all together. It didn't matter that his blood, and God she hoped it was his blood and not some giant glitch in her brain, was causing her to hallucinate these crazy, obnoxious, terrifying, amazing dreams.

The thought of Eric finally dying…no longer existing on this earth was unendurable.

Taking off at a run, more thankful than she'd ever been about anything that she'd been to his room the night before, Sookie made for the stairs, taking them two at a time till she got to his floor.

The hall was deserted except for a single hotel maid. The fire alarm was still ringing and the hotel's emergency lights were already flickering on and off. The woman looked as though she was just getting ready to abandon her cart and run when Sookie appeared before her, startling her even more.

"Give me your Master key." Sookie demanded in a harsh tone, not even caring how rude she sounded.

"No, I can't. I'll get fired!" The woman responded indignantly.

"Then open this door and get out! The building is going to blow up any minute now."

Sookie could hear the woman's mind go blank for a single second and then it was as if her survival instincts just kicked in, shutting down any other concern besides getting out of this place alive. Without a single word the maid flung her key at Sookie and took off towards the stairwell.

The moment the key landed in Sookie's hand the first explosion went off.

"Fuck!" Sookie had never been one to use coarse language casually, but she figured if ever there was a time it was called for this was it. Somehow she just couldn't see God or Gran holding it against her.

Steadying her hand Sookie tried to run the master key card through the reader on Eric's door. The loud 'ehh' sound that came out and the flashing red light, taunted her.

"Come on, come on!" She said trying it again. "God fucking damn it to hell, fucking piece of shit!" She screamed as the reader rejected the card a second time.

Sookie was almost in tears when she grabbed her right hand in her left, hoping the extra weight would help steady her fingers enough, and ran the key card through a third time. The green light and the quick beep that signaled success where like the sounds of angels singing and if another explosion hadn't rocked the building at that exact moment she might have simply stood there and kissed the card over and over.

Instead she pushed the door open with all her might, sending it hard into the wall, and ran into the room. Pam's bed was closest, but her friend was unwakable. Quickly moving over to the next Sookie found Eric. He was sleeping in a pair of black silk pajama pants and nothing else.

It was an absolutely mouthwatering sight, one Sookie would have unashamedly enjoyed under any other circumstances, but right now it wouldn't do. Looking around the room she found the heavy, black velvet ceremonial cloak he'd worn to marry Russell and Bart. He must have forgotten to give it back to Quinn!

Not caring a single wit why he hadn't, Sookie ran over to it, grabbing it and bringing it back to Eric's bed. Hastily she wrapped his unconscious body in it as best she could. When it was as good as it would get without his help, she started to try to wake him, shaking him and yelling for him to get up.

Her panic started to well up again when all her efforts produced absolutely no effect. She knew Bill could wake and walk, stagger really, under extreme circumstances. Eric was older than Bill by hundreds of years, surely that meant he could do it too!

Without much thought Sookie raised her hand and began to slap him across the face. The first time he groaned and Sookie could have cried from relief. The second time he managed to open his eyes slightly.

"Thank fucking God! Eric you have to stay awake, we have to get out of here!" She all but screeched at him.

"Daytime," he whispered, his eyes slipping closed again.

"Oh no you don't!" She screamed at him. "ERIC WAKE THE FUCK UP! The building is exploding! We have to get out of here or we're gonna die!"

Eric mumbled something barely coherent at her panicked words. Sookie couldn't be sure exactly what he said and she had no time to even try to understand him, but later when she thought back on that moment she would swear it sounded as if he'd said "at least we'll be together this time."

In the moment though, there was nothing else on her mind but getting him up and so, winding her hand back as far as she could, Sookie let go and slapped him one last time as hard as she could.

Eric's eyes seemed to startle open as though he'd just realized he wasn't having some sort of strange daytime dream and with Sookie's help he managed to get out of bed. Working together, Sookie panicked and Eric lethargic, they managed to break the light proof glass window, get Pam into her coffin, and get the coffin situated on the window ledge.

Moments later they were tobogganing down the side of the hotel, Eric trying his best, in his current state, to keep them from crashing to the ground. It wasn't a smooth landing but she was grateful for his efforts nonetheless. Sookie was fairly certain, even as she watched Pam's unconscious body come free of the wreckage of her coffin and Eric fall on top her trying to shield her, that she would have been the one to take a real crash landing the hardest.

As she watched the EMT's take Pam and Eric away to someplace dark and underground, she knew there was more to do, more people she could hopefully save, more Vampires she could hopefully help. As much as she didn't want to admit it to herself, now she knew Eric was safe, she felt as though she could breathe again.

She didn't want to think what state she would be in right now if she were looking at the quickly collapsing shell of the hotel, and knowing he was still in there somewhere, dead for the day and helpless. Her heart simply wouldn't have been able to take it.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N:** Happy 4****th****! **

**I seriously have to thank everyone who's been following this story! I'm just so blown away! I know I say that every chapter, but you just can't imagine how touched I am every time! **

**So Quinn…. I know Sookie's been wishy washy about him. I'm writing it that way because, to me, she was that way with him. She clung on even though they didn't seem to have an actual relationship, but when directly asked by Bill and Eric (both!) what her feelings for him were…she had squat! **

**I think it's because she wants what he represents but not really him. I am clinging to the hope no woman, in this day and age, really prefers being renamed Babe and talked to like a possession (which he so does- he beats the Vamps on that one). **

**Sookie's gonna start moving away from him this chapter. But her head still needs to catch up with her heart.**

**Thanks as always to my Awesome beta **Northman Maille, **YOU ROCK THE HOUSE!**

Disclaimer:** I own nothing….**

"**There's No Chance for Us."**

Sookie thought the night had turned out pretty typically for her. It started out one way, her bartending at the Bellefleur siblings double wedding, and ended another way, her in a just this side of too small, puffy dress, playing stand in bridesmaid.

Still, Sookie thought, standing in at a wedding was a lot better in the 'unexpected turn of events' category than being shot at, bombed, bitten, or chased after by a serial killer. She'd take a slightly too small, puffy dress over all that any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

As she stood at the alter watching Portia and Glen, and Halleigh and Andy, pledge to love each other till death did they part, she tried to feel genuine happiness for all four of them. They were starting out on the rest of their lives together and that was a beautiful thing. What she felt most though, unfortunately, was an insidious little green snake of envy.

She felt further away from having a moment like this than she ever had before. It stung a little that not a couple of weeks ago she'd been watching Russell Edgington and Bart Crowe vow the next century to each other and thinking maybe that might be her Quinn and one day.

Sookie hadn't heard hide nor hair of Quinn since she'd left Rhodes, no phone call …nothing. Part of her worried something might have happened to him. But the bigger part of her was just trying to avoid thinking about the possibility he'd simply changed his mind about a relationship with her.

Maybe in the end it had all been too much for him. Maybe once she was gone and he'd had time to think, Quinn had realized it was just more trouble than it was worth, trying to have something with a woman who was so closely and inextricably linked to a Vampire. If only he knew the half of it! Could she really blame him for running for the hills? And more to the point, did it really matter so much to her anymore?

As for the Vampire she was tied to…. Eric, she'd heard from. They were all safe and sound and whole once more and back to business. Bill was even here at the wedding tonight. Sitting with Selah Pumphrey, no hint he'd had an almost lethal sunburn a couple of weeks ago.

She was glad to hear it, really and truly. She would have been absolutely stricken at the thought of Pam and Bill's deaths and, even if she had been wanting to strangle Eric with a length of silver coated chicken wire for weeks now, she'd rather endure just about anything than that he no longer exist. The truth of that was yet another thing she was trying to avoid thinking too much about.

Still, happy as she was he was alive, it didn't change the fact she was angrier with him then she'd ever been with anyone before. She felt him every second of every night. He was there, just on the edges of her consciousness, as though he were peeking over her shoulder at her every move. It was more than a little unpleasant. Her head was already filled with so much constant babble; she didn't want Eric 'blah blah blahing' away in there too.

And the dreams…the dreams weren't going away either. In fact they were getting worse, more intense, longer and more detailed with each one. She'd even had another daytime vision.

Sookie had come out of it only to find herself frozen mid-step in the center of Merlotte's with a full tray of drinks and food still balanced on her shoulder. She was sure she looked more like crazy Sookie at that moment then she ever had before. And she'd rarely ever felt as humiliated as she had while everyone just stared at her, thinking how she'd finally gone off the deep end, and how they'd all been expecting it for years.

It wasn't until Sam came up to her and cautiously lifted the tray out of her hand that the fog had completely cleared. He'd tried to convince her to go home, but she'd told him she was okay, embarrassed as hell but okay.

She_was_ okay, she told herself. She WAS! Having hallucinations in the middle of bars did not make her not okay!

Just like the dream/vision/delusion she'd had in the elevator in Rhodes this one had been too real. Unlike the one she'd had in Rhodes it had been heartbreaking and even thinking of it caused a lump in her throat….

"_Skal!" The entire village seemed to cheer all at once as the clatter of clinking steins filled the hall. They were all here celebrating the return of the men who'd come back and honoring the lives of those who had not._

_They'd been drinking for some time now, the sun having just begun to set and even though there was still an air of sadness hanging around the hall, it had lessened considerably. So much so some were even starting to dance. _

_Sookie felt a tug on her hand and looked down to see Eric's younger brother, Gunnar, pulling at her hand. He was a sweet boy, only five years old, the baby of his family. He was also the spare now. As Sookie let her young partner lead her out to the floor, her eyes wandered back to her fiancé. He was sitting next to his father at the head table, looking as though the weight of everything that happened hadn't been lightened from his shoulders in the least by all the alcohol._

_Something was brewing in his head. Sookie could see it and it scared her. _

_The party had gone on late into the night, but Sookie had taken her leave just a few hours after sunset. It had all been too much, trying to be merry while she watched Eric choke on his grief. Trying to act cheerful when she knew he needed her and there was no way she could help him._

_As hands roughly shook her shoulders, causing Sookie to snap awake, she was glad for the few hours of rest she'd decided to take. It was her mother. There was a sharp look of fear on her face as she wrenched the blankets and furs off Sookie, exposing her to the cool predawn air._

"_It's Aude." Her mother said in a clipped tone. "She's gone into labor. It isn't going well, she's asking for you." _

_Not caring a wit what she looked like, or that she wasn't wearing much of anything, Sookie jumped out of bed. In nothing but her linen shift she ran for the door, barefoot, hair loose, her legs carrying her as fast as they could._

_Aude wasn't due for at least another month at the earliest. If the baby was coming now it meant nothing but bad. It would most probably die. If they were very unlucky it would take her friend with it._

_The sun hadn't fully risen yet, but Sookie had no problem finding her way through the mostly sleeping village to the house of Eric's family. Even if she had somehow lost her way, the sounds of screaming that came from the long wooden building where unmistakable and audible even from a distance._

_Knocking, but not waiting for an answer she opened the door to find Sverri, Eric, Thorvalder, Eric's grandfather and several of the male servants all either sitting at the big table or pacing around the room. Gunnar was sitting on the floor at Eric's feet with his three elder sisters, all of them playing quietly with a set of wooden men and horses. The children seemed to be the only ones who didn't flinch every time an anguished scream broke from the curtained area at the other end of the house._

_Sverri just nodded at her as she entered and the others seemed to pay her no attention at all as she scurried through the house making her way to Aude. It was only as she was about to pass through the curtain she saw Eric lift his head and pin her with a look of inexpressible guilt._

_She wanted to comfort him. She wanted to go to him and throw her arms around him. She wanted to tell him over and over it wasn't his fault, until he finally believed her. But another scream from her friend brought her back to reality and to who it was that needed her the most at the moment._

_Walking past the curtain she found the women of the house, free and servant alike, surrounding Aude as she walked around a small chair. She was holding her belly in both hands and biting her lip to point it was bleeding in several places. _

_Eric's mother, Asfrid, walked up to Sookie as she stood there frozen in place. Taking Sookie's hand she pulled her close and whispered in her ear._

"_The child won't come. It's facing the wrong way and she's taking the pain in her back. It's been going on since last night. We came home and found her writhing on the floor." _

_Sookie winced, feeling terrible for her poor friend, and for Eric as well. She knew this was just one more thing to fuel his guilt. They'd all been off drinking and enjoying themselves while Aude had been here alone, in terrible pain, trying to keep her baby from leaving her body too soon._

_At that moment Aude's labor pang seemed to pass and she noticed Sookie was there. She held out her hand, begging her friend with her eyes to come to her even as she collapsed, exhausted, into the chair. Sookie wasted no time and sat on the floor next to Aude, holding her hand tightly, as one of the servant women swabbed her forehead, cheeks and neck with a cool wet cloth._

_Sookie noticed the midwife sitting by the cooking fire, mixing herbs into a pot. She hadn't been witness to many births before, just her two younger brothers really and both of those births had been relatively easy. Her mother was an expert at it after all these years it seemed, but she knew the midwife was preparing a draught to try to get the baby to come faster. If it didn't within a few hours there would likely be no hope for either of them._

_Time seemed to pass in a haze after that. Aude took the medicine the mid-wife prepared but at first it didn't seem to help. Sookie had watched the looks of resignation crossing the faces of the women assembled. They were preparing themselves for what seemed inevitable now. Aude was in nearly constant agony but no matter how bad her pain was, no matter how much she screamed and sobbed, she would not give up. Her screams were more like the battle cries of warriors than anything else, and Sookie knew, even if it did kill her, she was determined to bring the child she and Sverri had made into the world alive._

_Three hours after Sookie had first entered the 'room', something finally seemed to happen. The midwife pronounced Aude able to push and all the women had helped move her to the bed where she sat, Sookie at her back, Eric's mother and grandmother holding her legs and the servant women bustling about fetching clean cloths, taking away dirty ones, keeping hot and cold water on hand, and hoping for the best._

_After everything she'd been through, Aude was beyond any exhaustion Sookie had ever seen, but each time she was bade to push she did with everything she had in her, squeezing Sookie's hand so hard at times she lost feeling there. _

_It took five hard pushes and it was done. The baby fell into the midwife's hand, Aude fell back on Sookie completely, crying silently and the midwife, Eric's mother and grandmother and a servant holding a small knife seemed to hover over the baby. The servant handed the midwife the knife. The midwife expertly cut the cord that still bound the child to its mother and then they all waited. The silence was more deafening than the screams had been._

_Aude made an almost inaudible sound, but Sookie realized her friend wanted help sitting up. With all her might Sookie pushed Aude up and they watched as the midwife opened the baby's mouth with her pinky finger and cleared it of a bit of birth mucus. She then blew into the baby's mouth and, with less gentleness than Sookie would have imagined, tapped it on its bottom._

_Suddenly a new cry erupted from the room. The baby was making its displeasure over such rough treatment known and, in that moment, it was as if every person in the entire house breathed a collective sigh of relief. The midwife handed the baby to Eric's mother who cleaned it with a warm, wet cloth and swaddled it tight. Then she handed the baby to Sookie. _

_Sookie only stared at her dumbly for a moment._

"_Well go on girl take him. Let Aude lay back, she hasn't been able to do that in months, and rest for a moment. She still has work to do. You take the baby to the men." _

_Sookie just nodded her head and held out her arms. She knew, for Aude, the labor wouldn't be over for another push or two while she passed the afterbirth, but Sookie also knew the men would be wanting to see the child. They would want to know if it was healthy, if it had a chance of living._

_Stepping out from behind the curtain, Sookie approached the large table where it seemed no one had moved much, except Gunnar was now napping in his Grandfather's arms. The girls seemed to have gone off to play outside, since Sookie was just now realizing it was late into the morning._

_The men all rose as she moved towards Sverri and held the baby out to him. _

"_You have a grandson sir." She said. _

_Sverri only nodded, silent tears slipping down his cheeks at the sight of the squirming bundle._

"_And my grandson's mother?" He said, his voice shaky as he took the baby from her and unswaddled it, checking to make sure it was well formed._

"_They don't know yet." She answered quietly._

"_He's a fine boy." Eric's father said, quickly becoming overwhelmed by the mix of grief and joy that was no doubt churning within him. He'd lost his son yesterday and today he'd gained a grandson. "Tell his mother I accept him and name him Sverri. Tell her the babe's father would be proud of them both!" _

_Sookie nodded her head, taking the baby back and retreating to the curtained birthing room. Aude had finally finished her labor and Sookie brought the baby to her. _

_Her friend clutched at him desperately. Moving the top of her linen shift and putting the baby to her breast without even trying to sit up. For all he was so tiny and so early, little Sverri latched onto his mother's breast with eager lips and began to suckle._

_Out of the corner of her eye Sookie caught Asfrid smiling. It was a welcome sight. It meant the child had a good chance of surviving his unexpected early arrival into the world. _

_An hour later Sookie left the house and went back to her own. They were all waiting for her there, equally worried expressions painting their faces. Sookie spent only a moment or two recounting the harrowing birth before she retreated to her bed. She was thankful no one seemed to expect her to actually do anything else today. _

_Sookie couldn't tell how much later it was when she awoke with a start, but as her eyes popped open she was immediately aware of what it was that had woken her. Sitting at her family's table with her father and Grandfather and two of her brothers was Sverri. He had with him several intricately carved ivory boxes, and seemed to be talking sternly to her father._

_It lasted only a moment more before they all seemed to sense she was awake and looked over at her._

_Sverri took the opportunity to rise from the bench he'd been sitting on and head for the door, saying, without the need for words, that whatever they had been speaking about, the discussion was now over. Halfway through the door he turned back, a look of regret on his face._

"_It has to be done. There is no other way." Then Eric's father was gone._

"_What's going on?" She asked, her voice still rough with sleep._

_At first her father and grandfather only looked at each other. Then, without warning, her father slapped at one of the ivory boxes, sending it crashing to the floor in pieces._

"_This is payment to change the terms of your betrothal. Eric is to marry Aude in four weeks and you will marry Thorvalder afterwards." …_

As the minister pronounced Portia and Glen, and Halleigh and Andy, man and wife, and man and wife, Sookie shook the morose vision off once more. Every time she thought of it, it caused her pain. It seemed she couldn't manage to manufacture a happy ending for her and Eric, even in her dreams.

The rest of the night passed in a blur. She'd been changing out of her borrowed dress only to have Bill confront her. It seemed almost finally dying had given him some courage and he'd told her in the most explicit terms that he wanted her back.

"I'd give anything to lie with you again." He'd said, sounding downright biblical.

It had left a sour taste in her mouth at the time, probably because the thought of ever 'knowing' Bill again wasn't in any way appealing to her anymore. But she'd also felt bad as she watched him walk away, telling him to go back to his girlfriend. Of course later she'd found out Bill had set Selah up to hear them, because apparently he was still too much a coward to tell her he no longer wanted to be with her. But at the time she'd felt some kind of empathy for Bill, if only because these dreams….these damn dreams wouldn't let her be.

There was someone she would give anything to 'lie' with again too, to lie with, to laugh with, to pass the time with. And knowing she needed to practice what she preached and go on back to her boyfriend, if she still had one, instead of to the person she wanted, didn't make it any less miserable to feel so torn.

She was just getting into her car trying to forget the whole 'Bill thing', hoping to stash it away with all the other stuff she wasn't giving serious thought too, when she sensed a void coming towards her fast.

Balling her fist around the keys in her hand, Sookie turned around as fast as she could, much faster than she would have normally, since Eric's blood was apparently eternally in her system now, and swung hard. Her fist connected with the Vampire's face and she watched him go down on his butt hard.

It was the Asian Vampire she'd seen at the wedding…Jonathan.

"I mean you no harm." He said, his voice nasal from his undoubtedly, if only momentarily, broken nose.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: **Thanks again so much to everyone who's been following this story, reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting!**

**So I know there's been a lack of Eric in the present. It's one of the things I find …difficult about following cannon so closely- Eric just isn't on as many pages as I'd like. But I would say this is the point where we're going AU all around. This scene in the present could be a "deleted' scene from the book, but everything that happens from the end of this chapter on out most definitely won't be, which means from here I get to put Eric on every page like I want! **

**Thanks as always to my wonderful beta **Northman Maille**, you are the best and I promise I'm getting my butt in gear for the rest of the week!**

Disclaimer:** I own nothing…but I do think Amelia should hang a shingle and become a therapist.**

"**It's All Decided for Us"**

Tears slid down Sookie's cheeks as she opened her eyes. She didn't want these dreams, these visions, these…whatever the hell they were! It wasn't just that she didn't understand what was happening to her or why. It wasn't because she was truly beginning to fear for her sanity.

It was because she just couldn't stand it anymore.

She couldn't bear to see yet another time, or world, or place where she'd lost him to duty and fate, and circumstance.

Losing Eric in the here and now, when he'd woken up that night restored to his arrogant, political, thousand year old self, without a single memory of how much they'd loved each other, had been enough. Pain like that once a lifetime was enough for anyone. She didn't want to suffer through it again. Especially not now!

She was finally moving on. She'd come to terms with her loss. She'd moved passed her grief. She could almost be around him again without wanting to hit him, scream at him, throw everything he'd promised her in his face. Or worse yet, fall at his feet like some pathetic, broken woman and beg him to please God _try_ to remember how he'd loved her, how he'd wanted her, how they'd been everything to each other.

She'd even gotten herself a new man. A good man, a man who could give her everything she'd always dreamed of when she looked around her and saw all the normal people she'd felt she could never be like.

Except she had no idea where she stood with that good, new man. He wasn't anywhere in sight. He hadn't been for weeks, and even when he was, she still couldn't help looking at him and wishing he were someone else.

She hated admitting that. She felt guilty and faithless even thinking it, but it was the truth. It was the God's honest truth and it had been (since she was being honest with herself) from the beginning.

And now these…_fucking dreams_, these dreams that reminded her no one else would ever love her like her Eric had. Only even there, in her own subconscious, she couldn't hold onto him. Even in a life where they could have everything; he was still taken from her!

Sitting up, dashing the tears from her face, Sookie slipped out of bed and headed for the kitchen. She had too much to do tomorrow to waste her night like this. But the thought of going back to sleep, and maybe having another dream, was harrowing at this point. If she wasn't going to get rest anyway, then she'd rather be sitting here in the present, in the real world, instead of crying over fantasies.

Sookie was halfway through the archway to the kitchen when she realized she wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep.

"Hey, you okay?" She asked as she sat across the table from Amelia, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Hey yourself." Amelia said, getting up to get another mug from the cupboard. "I'm just nervous about tomorrow I guess. I really hate it when my father just pops in like this." She explained, pouring tea from the pot she'd already made and sliding the cup across the table to Sookie.

"Thanks." Sookie said, taking it gratefully, letting the hot liquid scorch the exhaustion out of her.

"How bout you? You don't look so good Sweetie."

In the weeks they'd been living together they'd become close, closer than Sookie had been with anyone since she and Tara where girls. Still, did you tell this sort of thing to anyone? Did you risk confiding it to another living soul? Amelia was no stranger to the supernatural. She was a witch after all. And she_ had_ turned a man into a cat. It wasn't like she didn't know about weird…but still. Everyone had a crazy threshold and with most people Sookie knew she'd crossed it a long time ago.

"I, uh…. I've been having some disturbing dreams since Rhodes." She answered evasively.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry. It's not surprising though after what you've been through. I'd be having nightmares too." Amelia's look of concern and her thoughts, which were genuinely worried for her, finally gave Sookie the courage she needed. After all, if Amelia thought she'd finally lost it, that probably meant she had. At least then she'd know it was time to go look for a nice padded cell with a view.

"That's the thing." Sookie started, taking a deep breath for courage. "They're not nightmares and they're not about the bombing. They're about Eric." Amelia's first response was a waggled eyebrow and a smirk. "Amelia please, this is hard enough." Sookie pleaded, putting down her cup and letting her head fall onto the table with a thud.

"Sorry hon. I'll be good. Tell me about it."

"They…oh God, they're wonderful and amazing, but they're also completely…insane! I keep dreaming about him when he was Human. Only they don't feel like dreams and I'm there with him, a part of his life, a BIG part."

There was nothing for it but to tell Amelia everything, so she did. From the moment she and Eric had bonded to when she'd woken up tonight, in a puddle of her own tears. As she did, it was like she was reliving it all over again and the pain came back full force….

"_Sookie, love wake up." Someone was shaking her awake again._

_Opening her eyes, trying to see passed the throbbing in her head, from all the crying she'd done since Sverri had left their house earlier, Sookie saw Eric._

_He was standing over her bed, a look of anxiety on his face. At first she wasn't sure why, but as she came out of her groggy sleep it became all too clear. He'd snuck into her house, in the middle of the night!_

"_What are you doing here?" she whisper/hissed at him, too shocked to worry about the fact her whole family was sleeping around them._

"_I had to see you." He whispered back, tugging on her arm again, trying to get her out of bed._

_Before Sookie could say or do anything her niece was sitting up in bed right next to her._

"_Eric?" The little girl said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and staring from Sookie to him over and over._

"_Go back to bed, Sigdis." Sookie said, turning to the child. "Just go back to bed." _

"_But…" The little girl persisted._

"_Please, dear one. Just go back to sleep, okay." Turning to her former betrothed she looked at him coldly. "Eric is leaving."_

"_Not unless you come with me." Eric's voice was equally frosty, but she could see the pleading behind his eyes._

_She could just call out. She knew that. She could simply call out to her father, her grandfather, her brothers and he'd be leaving whether he wanted to or not, probably with a black eye and a broken rib or two. But no matter how much such a thing might appease her pain, she couldn't. She hated herself for it, but the fact he'd risked such a thing to come to her, made her breaking heart hurt just a little less._

_Rising from the bed, Sookie pulled the covers back over Sigdis. The little girl snuggled deep into the furs and let out a big yawn._

"_Please don't tell." She begged as Sigdis began to fall back asleep._

"_Okay." Was the last thing she said before dropping back off to her dreams._

_Turning to Eric, Sookie pinned him with a single angry look before throwing her dress back on and bending to pull on her boots. There were barely on when he grabbed her arm again and started striding towards the door. His grip wasn't painful, but it was firm and she knew he was afraid if he let go she wouldn't follow._

_It was pitch black outside, but Eric never stumbled or wavered as made his way over to where his horse, Skjolder, was tied. Freeing her am finally, only to take her by the waist, he picked her up and put her on his saddle before jumping up behind her and taking the horse out of the village at a fast trot. When they'd passed the last buildings he pushed Skjolder into a gallop and didn't stop till he came to their fallen tree in the woods._

_Leaving her on the horse he jumped down and began making a fire out of the broken tree branches that littered the forest floor. When it was done he walked back over, taking her by the waist again and helping her down._

_Taking her hand, he tried to lead her over to sit, but before he could get very far she wrenched her hand out of his grasp._

"_I don't want to sit with you." She hissed. "Just say whatever you dragged me out here to say and then take me back before someone finds out we're gone."_

"_I didn't have a choice." He began, his voice filled with anguish._

"_She could have married Thorvalder." Sookie countered, after a long moment, when she was sure her voice wouldn't tremble._

"_No, she could not have. She came here to marry the next Chieftain. Her father would not keep the alliance if she was suddenly given a husband of lesser status. He can marry her into better circumstances elsewhere if that's the case." _

_Sookie stared back at him, trying to keep her face neutral, emotionless. It was a good explanation, reasonable and irrefutably logical, and if it had been the whole explanation she wouldn't have been angry with him. But she knew Eric, and knowing him, she was sure there was more._

"_And…." She prompted him. _

_She wanted to hear it from his lips, no matter how much it would crush her. She thought maybe that was what she needed, to hear him say it, so the throbbing pain she felt would mercifully turn to hate._

"_And the child is my nephew, my blood, the only thing left of my brother. A brother whose death was my fault! It is my duty to care for them and no one else's." Eric's voice broke on those last words and she could see the tears glistening in his eyes and down his face in the firelight._

"_It was NOT your fault!" She yelled at him, finally pushed past her ability to be calm or cold. "This is fate, Eric. Neither you, nor I, nor anyone else decides when a person will die. If Sverri didn't make it to Thorvalder's boat then he was not meant to and there is nothing you, or anyone else, could have done!" _

"_I don't believe his time was done. I don't! But even if it was, it still falls to me to care for his family. I cannot do anything to change it Sookie. My father has spoken." Again she knew he was telling her the truth…just not the whole truth._

"_And when he did, you didn't speak a word against it did you? You did nothing, said nothing."_

_He looked up at her then with such anger and loathing, it should have scared her. Only she knew it wasn't aimed at her. It was for himself._

"_No, I said nothing. There was nothing to say. The only way I can atone to Sverri for what I've done is to take his family. I know it's what he expects of me, what he demands! Would you have me turn my back on him?"_

_Sookie could only nod. She wanted to be angry, she wanted to hate him, but she couldn't. He was right. Even if she would never believe Sverri's death was Eric's fault, he would not be the man he was, if he turned his back on Aude and the baby, and let others shoulder the responsibilities he believed rightly belonged to him. _

_Eric was cocky, arrogant, and sometimes overly full of himself, even for a man, but he was also honorable, loving and intensely loyal to those he felt were his to care for. _

_It was a terrible irony that, in giving her up, he proved himself even more to be the man she'd always seen the possibility of inside the boy she knew. A man worth loving more than any she'd ever known._

"_And there is nothing more to say now." She answered him back, her voice flat and toneless as she pushed the hurt down and tried with all her heart to simply accept what could not be changed._

"_Nothing except I love you. I do Sookie. I always will. Nothing which happens can ever change that." He'd gotten up as he spoke. "Do you? Do you still love me?" By the time he was done, he was standing right in front of her, towering over her, his eyes filled with guilt and pain, and behind those…hope._

"_You have no right to ask me that anymore, Eric. I'm not yours anymore." When she saw him stiffen and take a step back as though she'd physically slapped him, she knew her cruel words had hurt. _

_But what else could she say? It was the truth. They belonged to others now. They had to forget what had come before. And if she answered him truthfully she would never be able to forget._

"_You will always be mine Sookie, just as I will always be yours. No matter how long it takes, no matter what fate has in store for us, I know we are meant for each other. I have known since the day you followed after your worthless brother with tears in your eyes. We _will _be together one day!"_

"_If it's meant to be then it will be, but for now…I am Thorvalder's and you are Aude's." She almost choked on her words. They tasted foul. _

_She turned from him then, but before she could move more than a few steps his hand fell on her shoulder. He didn't try to turn her, only to stay her._

"_Then at least tell me you forgive me. Sookie, please." It was a mistake, the worst one she'd ever made to turn around then, but she did. And when her eyes met his, no amount of evasion could help her. She could see so clearly how he loved her and she knew he could see the same. _

_She understood why he'd done what he'd done. But could she forgive him? When she'd been crying in her bed she'd thought she could never bear to face him again, even as all she wanted was for him to hold her and take the hurt away. Now she was looking straight at him, into him, and the anger and the hurt seemed to dull, while the need to hold him and be held became impossible to ignore. _

"_I forgive you." She whispered, and then without her consent her mouth opened again. "And I love you, still. I will always love you. I always have." She didn't even realize she'd begun crying until one of the drops touched her lips._

_Eric seemed to notice it at the same moment and without a word or a thought he bent and gently licked it away, his tongue softly sweeping into her mouth for a moment before retreating. His lips stayed on hers though, not moving, not really kissing her, just resting there as though they couldn't bear to part from hers._

_Without much thought of her own Sookie brought her arms around his waist, her hands melding to the plains of his shoulder blades, bringing her body into the shelter of his. Eric let out a soft sigh when she was completely pressed against him, and she began to feel the wetness of his tears falling on her cheeks and lips._

_She knew she should pull away when she felt his arms close around her, one hand tangling itself in the loose strands of her long hair and the other clutching at her waist. Instead she simply tightened her hold on him and tilted her head, so that it was her kissing him this time._

"_Sookie," He moaned into her mouth, clinging to her, as she drank in the sound. _

_When they finally pulled back to breathe the look in Eric's eyes was one she'd never seen before. He was begging her, pleading with her, and for what, she knew without doubt. _

_She should have said no. There were so many reasons why she should have said no. Why she should have pulled back from him and run back to the village without a backward glance._

_She didn't care for a single one of them then. Why should she? She asked herself. They were being taken away from each other. Fate had separated them and it cared nothing for the cruel trick it was about to play._

_Once she married Thorvalder, they would see each other every day, sit at the same table, live in the same house and yet never be able to touch each other again, never be able to be alone together again. It would be the most acute kind of torture._

_If this was what awaited them, then should they not steal a last moment of joy together? No one would ever have to know. No one would ever have to find out. But they would know and when they sat across from each other, so close yet forever parted, they could look at each other and remember every single touch, every single kiss, and know no one else would every possess them as they had each other._

_Meeting Eric's gaze head on, Sookie nodded her head. At first Eric did nothing except stare at her, probably astonished she'd agreed. What he did next astonished her even more. _

_Eric feel to his knees in front of her, his whole body backlit by the small fire, and buried his face in her stomach. He was still weeping, she could feel the wetness seeping into the light wool of her dress, as he rubbed his face against the fabric._

"_Don't cry Eric." She soothed, her hand coming up to stroke the gold of his hair, even as her own tears continued to fall. "This should be about love, not pain." _

_She watched him nod his head as she felt his hands come up under her dress and begin to smooth their way up her legs. She gasped a little even as she watched him tilt his head up to her._

"_With you it will always be about love." He whispered before he stood, taking the skirt of her dress up with him._

_The nights were still warm and, as they helped each other out of their clothes, they took the time to touch and kiss and explore every part of each other. In the years they'd been betrothed they had done many things together, but everything had always felt so light, so playful. They had been two young people in love, unable to keep their hands from each other, but knowing when the time came they would belong to one another forever._

_There had never been guilt, or sadness between them before. It had never felt wrong or shameful to touch each other, to bring each other pleasure. Now…now it still didn't feel wrong even though Sookie's head told her it most definitely was. But it did feel urgent. They were racing the sun to love each other one last time. The first and the last time they would ever love one another completely._

_As Eric's mouth closed over the tip of her breast and his hands came down, one to tease and play with the other and one to dip between her thighs, Sookie cried out. Her hips bucked against his own and she felt him there, hot and hard, desperate to be inside her, if only once._

_Circling her hands around his girth as best she could, she stroked him in time to the rhythm of his own hand playing between her folds. They lay there, writhing against each other, for long minutes until Eric pulled back, panting._

_Without a word, the hand Sookie had been using to please him suddenly began to gently guide him forward as she lifted her hips. They both cried out when his tip brushed against her entrance, perfectly aligned. _

"_I will love you forever Sookie." He whispered against her lips before his mouth claimed hers and his hips surged forward._

_There was a single moment of stinging pain and Sookie's head fell back on a cry that, for the first time, wasn't pleasure. But it was gone almost as quickly as it had come and then there was only the feeling of fullness, completeness. _

_When she opened her eyes again, she saw Eric's face looked strained and blissful all at the same time. She knew he was trying hard to keep control of himself, not to embarrass himself the way he'd told her so many of his friends had._

_They couldn't have cared less one way or the other, but for him it was different. She knew pleasing her meant more to him than his own pleasure. Especially if this was the one and only time he ever would. He wanted her to remember it, to look back on it no matter what happened, as one of the most wonderful moments of her life. _

_Selfishly, he wanted to make sure no other man would ever live up to him. Because he knew, he knew the moment he'd first felt her wrapped around him, no other woman would ever equal her. How could they, when it was Sookie who was meant for him, made for him and him alone._

_Looking into each other's eyes, they moved together. Slowly at first, till they both got used to the intense feeling and then more quickly as the newness gave way to the nearly unbearable pleasure of it._

_Reaching down, knowing he couldn't last much longer, Eric brought his fingers between her folds, seeking out the little nub he knew she loved for him to play with, and began teasing it._

_Sookie clung to him, the new sensation, added to the others, finally bringing her over the edge with an intensity she'd never felt before. The feeling of her coming around him, forced Eric's moment as well and with a final thrust he pulled away from her, spilling himself on the ground even as his instincts tried to demand he stay buried within her, bathing her insides with the hot stream._

_Falling beside her, Eric pulled her into his arms. Only then noticing the sky was beginning to lighten. He felt his heart beat faster in his chest, pounding at his ribs in panic even harder than it had in pleasure._

_They had to go back. They had to go back now before someone found them both gone or there were repercussions. _

_Part of him, the rebellious part, wanted to let it happen. He wanted to ride back into the village in full daylight, Sookie sitting in front of him for all to see, so they would know what he'd done to her here in the woods. Then there would be no choice, his father would have to let them marry._

_It was ironic really how one slip like that could have such an impact, when the truth was, after two years of betrothal, everyone at least suspected he and Sookie had been up to such things all along. If he'd been a more selfish person he would have done it. Certainly he'd proved he wasn't above some amount of selfishness just moments before._

_But he couldn't. Selfishness he was capable of, but abandonment he was not. And if he allowed the world to know what happened between them this night, he would be utterly abandoning his nephew, a defenseless child, who was fatherless in the first place because of Eric's weakness._

"_It's time to go back." He whispered, hating the words even as they forced themselves from his mouth._

"_I know." Sookie answered back. Her voice was rough and he knew she was holding on ruthlessly to more tears. "I love you Eric." She said again, her voice shaking._

"_I will love you forever, Sookie, through this life and beyond to the next. Nothing will change that, not even death." …._

"Um…wow." Amelia said, when Sookie had finally finished telling her everything.

The sky outside the kitchen window was starting to lighten too and Sookie knew they still had loads to do before Amelia's father darkened their door for lunch.

"So now is probably an awkward time to tell you, I forgot Eric called last night, while you were still at the wedding…whoops." Her friend laughed nervously.

"What did he want?" Sookie groaned, taking a last sip of her now tepid tea.

"He said he needed to see you, or something like that." She answered.

"I guess it's for the best, I have to tell him about the whole Jonathan thing anyway." Sookie sighed.

When Sookie looked at her friend again, Amelia had her mouth hanging open in an expression of shock.

"Uhhh, I'd say that's not nearly the only thing you need to tell him, sweetie." Amelia finally answered back when she'd picked up her jaw from the floor.

Getting up from the table, Sookie put her mug in the sink, but then found she couldn't sit down again. Instead she started pacing the floor.

"I can't Amelia. I just can't. I mean, this is crazy right? Even you think it's crazy and well…." Sookie just gestured to Bob, who'd entered the kitchen sometime during their conversation and was now rubbing himself on the legs of the table and chairs.

"How can I tell him this? Especially when I'm still keeping all sorts of stuff about his stay with me a secret. What do I say? Hey Eric, yeah thanks for calling. Oh by the way, no biggie here or anything, but not only won't I tell you about all the things you promised me while you didn't know your own reflection from a pumpkin, but now I know all sorts of stuff about your Human life too. Or at least I think I do, cause I dream crazy shit about you every night! Should I tell you some stuff about your family? Yeah, he wouldn't have any problem with that, not at all."

"Okay, granted it's crazy. But you have to talk to him about this Sookie, and not just this, but your bonding, and whatever else you're hiding from him would be nice too! I mean, I don't know all that much about Vampires, and even less about blood magic, they keep that stuff closer to the vest than they keep anything else, but do you think he could be causing these dreams?"

Sookie just looked at the floor for a long minute. The thought had crossed her mind…more than once in the last weeks, but in the end….

"No, honestly I don't think he would manipulate me like this." She answered.

When Sookie looked up at her roommate, Amelia's jaw was back on the floor.

"I'm not saying he isn't manipulative, or that he wouldn't manipulate me if given the chance. I'm just saying I don't think he'd do it like this. Eric is an opportunist, through and through, yes. But when it comes to me, he seems to have this weird thing about wanting to win me fair and square. I don't know, maybe he can't rub it in Quinn and Bill's faces as much if I don't, as he puts it, 'yield'."

That seemed to garner a shrug from Amelia.

"That's just men, Sookie, honestly. Any man who's really a man wants to win fair and square and they'll walk right up to the line to do it. It's the ones who'll cross the line, who don't mind cheating and scheming to get what they want you have to be careful of."

Sookie could only snort at that.

"Well that's advice I wish I had two years ago. Although I guess I would have had to know Bill was cheating and scheming first."

"Sookie you have to talk to him. You can't keep going on like this and, I hate to say it, but he's probably the only one with the answers."

"I know. I know." was all Sookie would say. "I'll call him tonight."

"And…." Amelia prompted.

"And I'll figure it out as I go. Maybe I can just ask him some roundabout questions about this whole bonding thing, without having to get into the murky details." Sookie could feel Amelia rolling her eyes mentally, but right now she couldn't even think of confiding this to Eric. Could she?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: **So, I promised Eric in the present from now on and I'm all set to deliver! This chapter is all present day and the next one will be primarily dream sequence. I've tweaked the phone call Sookie made in the books, and I'm not ready to blow my E&S load yet (so to speak), but I hope it will be satisfying progress. The load blowing is coming soon though, cross my heart!**

**Thanks again so much to everyone who's been following this story. I seriously cannot express my level of 'blown-away-ness'! Y'all Rock!**

**And since I just displayed how terribly I can massacre the English language without meticulous oversight, thank you my awesome, glorious, gorgeous beta **Northman Maille**. It would all be like the A/N without you!**

Disclaimer:** I own nothing….**

"**There's No Time for Us"**

Sookie's hand seemed frozen just an inch above the phone.

She was in her room, sitting on her bed, her hand outstretched to pick up her cell from its place on her nightstand. Her hand just wouldn't complete the action though, no matter how much her brain tried to tell it to.

Sookie had been thinking over what she should say to Eric all day. She'd thought about it while she and Amelia cleaned. She'd thought about it as she sat across from Copley Carmichael, Amelia's… 'interesting' father, listening to all the smarm and arrogance rattling out of his mouth, and rolling off his mind.

She'd thought of it while Amelia told her all about her mentor, Octavia. Heck she'd thought about it while showering, brushing her teeth and using the toilet (she was sure Eric would be particularly flattered by that last one).

Yet even with all the thinking Sookie couldn't decide if she should say anything about her dreams. The fears she'd told Amelia about the night before hadn't diminished any. Vampires were intensely private creatures, and Eric was a Vampire's Vampire. She was already holding out on him, keeping information he wanted badly about his time cursed while under her roof. How much angrier would he be if she told him this and it ended up what she'd dreamed was even remotely accurate?

He'd never shared his past with her, never even confirmed whether or not he was in fact a Viking; as everyone seemed to believe. It would be horrifically embarrassing if she told him everything and it turned out this was all some sort of trippy hallucination on her part. But it might end up being downright unhealthy for her if she really was seeing something so private and he didn't like it.

She'd never been seriously afraid of Eric. Of all the Vampires she knew she'd always liked him the best, even before she'd fallen for him, and she knew he liked her too. Still, it wasn't as if Sookie was rushing to tell him about the few times she'd heard his thoughts. Just because he liked her and didn't _want_ to hurt her, didn't mean he never would. Especially if she made it appear as though it was in his best interests to do so.

It didn't help that this Human Eric in her dreams reminded her so much of the Eric who'd stayed with her, the Eric she'd loved. If anything it made her want to throw good sense to the wind even more and confess everything. If 'dream Eric' ever existed then it meant 'her Eric' had also been real. It meant he still lived somewhere inside the Vampire who'd replaced him; he might still be capable of coming out again, of feeling genuinely for her, of loving her again!

"Ugghn!" Sookie groaned, lifting her fingers to her temples and rubbing gently.

All the back and forth was giving her a massive headache, something she just couldn't afford with someone as 'loud' as Amelia in the house.

"Suck it up Sookie!" She bit out, shaking her head and making herself pick up the phone.

"Fangtasia, the bar with a bite." Clancy's voice informed her after only two rings.

Sookie tried not to let out another groan; it simply had to be her least favorite Vampire who picked up the phone. Where was Pam when you needed her most?

Sighing, Sookie told herself there were worse things than talking to Clancy, things like being in an exploding building, or being staked in the side. Having lived through both of those, she was almost positive they were in fact worse.

"Hi Clancy, it's Sookie. Eric asked me to return his call." Sookie tried to make her voice as sweet and sunny as possible. She was almost sure she was cracking the 'Crazy Sookie' smile too, even though its recipient couldn't actually see her.

"One minute." Clancy finally responded after a long moment Sookie was absolutely positive he used trying to find a way to keep her from speaking with Eric.

When 'Strangers in the night' came on, Sookie figured he hadn't come up with anything that wouldn't get him in trouble.

"Hello." Came a much more welcome voice after another minute.

Sookie shivered involuntarily at the sound of it and it took every ounce of control she had to bottle her irritation at the way Eric affected her. When she heard his voice, no matter what was wrong, she felt content. When he was with her, no matter what the danger, she felt beautiful, happy, and safe. And when she felt those wonderful feelings wash over her, she felt the reciprocal desire to smack him rise up right behind them.

Her anger over the whole 'bond thing' and the havoc it was wreaking on her peace of mind would have to wait till later though. Right now a healthy fear for her life was what she needed to be concentrating on.

"I'm sorry I didn't call you back before now. I didn't get your message until after dawn. Amelia said you wanted to see me about something? Do you need me to come in and read someone?" She tried to sound nonchalant.

"No, it's not business." He answered, something in his voice sounding off. "Will you go out with me tomorrow night?"

If Sookie hadn't been sitting already she was fairly certain she would have been on the floor right then, he'd caught her so off guard. She knew the right answer, the correct thing to do, was to tell him in no uncertain terms she was dating Quinn. Her mouth was actually open to do it, but the sound just wouldn't come out. Like her hand before, it seemed her voice had developed a mind of its own too.

Was she really still dating Quinn? They hadn't seen or talked to each other in weeks and truthfully, beyond being ticked he seemed to have blown her off, she couldn't say she'd really missed him. Her pride was wounded by his silence…but not her heart. The only person who seemed to be able to hurt her that way anymore was the one on the other end of the phone.

Still she'd never been the kind of girl to go with two men at once. Until she finally talked to Quinn and formally ended things, or got her dismissal from him, she would feel as though she were stepping out on him. Not pondering the fact she'd apparently decided to break up with Quinn one way or the other, Sookie finally forced her mouth to form syllables with sound behind them.

"Eric, I'm dating Quinn." She managed to choke out. When she heard the little snort on the other end she began to wonder if deception registered as an emotion. Could he feel she was lying?

"How long has it been since you've seen him?" There was no hint of snark or smugness in his voice as she would have expected.

"Since Rhodes." Sookie tried to sound blasé as she said it, implying it was no big deal.

"And How long has it been since you heard from him?"

"Since Rhodes." This time her voice was a little smaller as she answered, feeling that sharp sting to her pride all over again.

"Then I think you can give me one evening. It doesn't sound as though Quinn has you booked up." There was still no smugness, but Eric's voice was unmistakably confident.

"That was mean." She bit back.

He took her off guard with his next question.

"Is it? You can pretend all you want, but even before we bonded I could sense your emotions. I know exactly what you feel, or rather what you don't feel, for him. Yet when I ask you directly, you cannot give me a straight answer. Who is it you're trying to fool Sookie, me or yourself?"

Sookie's jaw hung open at Eric's brazenness. He'd asked her in Rhodes what she felt for Quinn, but he'd never been so forceful about it before and it appeared he was only getting started.

"There's a reason you know," he continued, "why you came for me first when the world was catching fire all around us."

"Yeah, this wonderful blood bond thing we have going on." She interjected, trying to find her footing again in this suddenly terrifying conversation.

"No, our blood bond had nothing to do with it and you know that." His voice was quiet but with an edge to it, not anger but…impatience somehow.

Of all the ways this phone call could have gone Sookie hadn't expected this, not by a long shot, and she found herself falling back on her anger to keep herself safe. How dare he humiliate her with reminders her boyfriend had ditched her? How dare he insinuate he knew her better than she knew herself? How dare he suggest he knew the reasons for her reactions and responses when they were still mostly a mystery to her?

"Yes, fine, I came for you and not because of our bond! Is that what you want to hear Eric? Do you want to hear how a part of me I can't control or turn off still cares for you so much it physically hurts? Because it does! And the reason it hurts is no matter how much I'd like to delude myself that the you who stayed with me is somewhere inside of the you I'm talking to right now, I can't. I can't find one shred of evidence he still exists. Not even now when I'm privy to all of your 'supposed' emotions! But I still miss him." She was practically yelling into the phone by the end, and she was sure he'd be able to tell she was crying.

Still it was a shock to her when, instead of a verbal response, she was hit by a wave of deep pain and longing. It lasted only a moment before disappearing completely, leaving her with nothing but the ache coming from her own heart. But she was sure she'd felt it.

"How can you possibly know what is inside me Sookie? You have never taken the time to try and find out, at least not that I can remember." His voice was barely above a whisper but even the soft sound seemed to carry so much emotion behind it, more than she'd ever heard from him when he was in his right mind.

"Eric please." She pleaded, making no secret of the fact she was sobbing steadily now. "I can't do this, not right now."

He seemed to finally take pity on her after a moment, his voice returning to its usual confident volume and emotionless lilt.

"There is someone in town who wishes to meet you. I promised I would arrange the introduction. That is why I wish you to come with me tomorrow night."

"Oh, then it's not a date?" Sookie's voice squeaked on that last word, even as she tried to sniffle discreetly.

"No, it's not a date." He replied evenly.

"Is it that guy Jonathan? He came to the wedding. I've got to say I didn't much care for him. No offense, if he's a friend of yours. I do feel bad for breaking his nose though. But he really shouldn't have snuck up on me." She knew she was rambling, but she tried to feel at least a little better because with each word she managed to match his now casual tone more and more.

"Jonathan? Who is this person?" Eric's puzzlement was coming across loud and clear at that, right along with something which sounded a lot like anxiety.

"I'm talking about the Asian guy; he's…Thai maybe? He was at the Bellefleur wedding last night. He said he wanted to see me because he was staying in Shreveport, and he'd heard a lot about me. He said he'd checked in with you, like a good little visiting Vampire."

"I don't know him." Eric answered cautiously. "I'll ask around Fangtasia. Now will you please do what I'm asking of you?"

"Yeah…yeah I can do tomorrow night." Sookie supposed it was the least she could do to thank him for dropping their other conversation. She knew she should have used the opportunity to tell Eric everything, but it had just gotten too real for her, too scary.

"Who am I meeting then and where?"

"I'll have to let the 'who' remain a mystery." He evaded. "As to where, we'll go to dinner at a nice restaurant. The kind you call casual dressy."

"Will you be sitting with us while we eat? Are you okay with all that food?" Sookie couldn't help asking.

She knew it was probably a serious one eighty from where they'd been just moments before, but she was genuinely curious. Bill wouldn't have lasted a full sixty seconds in a restaurant where they served actual Human food, let alone at a table with two eating people. He could barely stand Merlotte's; where most of the inhabitants did nothing but drink by the time he was awake.

"I'll introduce you and stay as long as you need me to." He answered her, his voice stiff sounding, maybe offended somehow.

"Okay. I get off work about six or six thirty. Can you give me until seven thirty? I need to shower and change"

"Seven thirty would be fine."

"Thanks. I'm sorry for…." She didn't know how to finish that sentence without admitting to a whole slew of things she just couldn't handle right now.

"It's all right." He answered, his voice softer, almost kind. "You'll feel better when you see me."

As much as Sookie wanted to be angry about that last statement she knew Eric was right.

"So seven thirty then." She deflected.

"Seven thirty." He confirmed. Sookie was just about to hang up when he spoke again, his voice wistful. "There are so many things you don't know Sookie. I hope one day you'll finally find the courage to ask."

Her phone went silent then, and Sookie was left staring at it, her heart pounding against her ribs. Laying down, still clutching her cell, she closed her eyes for a moment and tried to make herself calm down….


	7. Chapter 7

A/N:** I just want to thank everyone again, who's been following this story. I'm having so much fun writing it and I'm so thrilled people are having fun reading it!**

**That being said, this chapter was hard to write. **

**Writing a Canon/AU is a weird thing to begin with. Since it's AU many things are completely different, but I'm also trying to follow the books accurately when I can. So while I took the opportunity to stretch the history Eric gave Sookie in D&G, I didn't want to go completely against it. That's why I decided to go the way I did this chapter. It was hard. I'm a mom, and to a little boy who's the center of my universe, so it was difficult for me to stay detached, but I felt like it had to happen. **

**Thanks as always to my awesome beta, **Northman Maille**. I don't know what I'd do without you!**

Disclaimer:** I own nothing…..**

"**There's No Place for Us"**

"_I think this should be more than enough for two months." Sookie said, turning to Aude as they both surveyed the barrels of grain and beer one last time before the male field servants took them down to the ships._

"_More than enough." Aude nodded her head in her sage way, gesturing to the man closest to her to have the others begin loading the barrels onto the carts. "You put in a little extra, I think." She added once they'd started walking back to the house._

"_We'll have a good harvest come autumn. We can spare it, and it never hurts to be prepared." Sookie answered nonchalantly._

"_No, it certainly doesn't." Came her cousin's choked reply. _

_Sookie knew, even if neither of them would admit it, they were both thinking of that day when Eric, Thorvalder, and the surviving men of the village had hobbled off their boats, thin from hunger and just happy to be alive and home._

_It had been seven years since that awful day, but it was forever burned into her memory and she knew it was the same for Aude. They never talked of it of course, or anything that had come before it, but it was always there between them._

_As planned, Eric had married Aude four weeks after baby Sverri's birth and, despite the fact she'd been raised to be a strong and stoic woman, Aude had cried bitterly as she'd watched her father, visiting from their village, sign the necessary contracts. Sookie knew Aude was grateful to Eric for marrying her, but her grief over the husband she'd loved was still almost unbearably strong. She had managed to stop crying in time for the celebration feast at least, but her eyes were so red and puffy no one could have mistaken her for a joyful bride._

_Despite it all, Eric and Aude had managed to forge a workable relationship in the ensuing years, and Sookie thought Aude was as happy as she would ever manage to be considering her first husband and her first child had both died and left her. _

_Glancing sideways at her cousin, Sookie swallowed hard as the memory of that particular day, another awful one burnt into her memory, played out…._

_They'd been sitting outside in the late summer sun, the women of the house, Eric's grandmother, his mother Asfrid, Aude, herself as she had finally wed Thorvalder only a few days before, and Edda, Thorvalder's mother, working on sewing new shirts for the children when they'd heard a scream from inside the house._

_Nearly as one they'd all rushed inside to find one of the house servants, a young girl of about thirteen who was put in charge of minding little Sverri when his mother was working, standing over the babies cradle with her hand over her mouth, and terrified tears streaming down her cheeks._

"_I just left for a moment to get some water." The girl stammered out as she saw the women of the house making their way over to her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I don't know what happened!" The girl fell to her knees in front of all of them even as Aude pushed her out of the way._

_Aude made not a sound, as she lifted the tiny bundle of her son, blue in the face and quite clearly no longer breathing, and held him to her heart. Once she'd done so she simply stood there and stared down at him as though the force of her will alone could make him draw breath again._

_And for a long moment they all stood, frozen, right along with her. Losing a child in its first months was a fairly common event, but it never ever became ordinary. As they watched Aude, shocked momentarily from her wits as she rocked the lifeless bundle, Sookie saw the ghosts of so many lost little ones pass through the eyes of the older women in the room. They'd all been through it, more than once, and they were all living it again with her._

_It was Asfrid who seemed to recover herself first. Stepping towards the servant girl, Eric's mother hauled her up forcibly by the shoulder of her dress._

"_Go and find Sverri and tell him what has happened." She ordered roughly._

_The poor girl only nodded her head, to choked with her tears to make any reply, and ran off. Sookie thought she was probably relieved to be away from them. She wondered how the girl would feel in a moment or two when she was forced to bear Sverri's reaction to her news._

"_He came early, child" Asfrid said to Aude, a great deal more compassion and gentleness in her voice. "It was a miracle he survived his birth, but…it was not meant to be." Sookie watched as Asfrid tried to take little Sverri from his mother's arms._

_Aude struggled at first, not willing to give him up. But at length, when both Eric's grandmother and Thorvalder's mother took her, as gently as possible, by the arms, she relented. Still she didn't cry. It didn't seem as though she was even fully aware of what had happened._

_It was only a few minutes more before the men came rushing in, Sverri in the lead with Eric and Thorvalder right behind him. Their practice swords still clasped in their hands. _

_Sverri rushed to his wife, taking in the small body she now held and valiantly trying to restrain his tears. Eric seemed dumbfounded for all of a moment as he watched his parents, but at length a strangled sound from Aude seemed to bring him out of his own shock and he moved to her quickly, taking her in his arms._

_At first Aude only stood there stiffly, but eventually it must have been too much for her, to keep it all inside, and she fell against him, staining his shirt with her tears. As she did she mumbled Sverri's name over and over again and Sookie was fairly certain it was for both her husband and her baby she was weeping._

_She hated to see them act with such intimacy, but given the circumstances Sookie wouldn't have begrudged anyone the right to comfort. Still she couldn't watch it. Her own pain was still too close to the surface to trust. Turning she made to leave the room when Thorvalder, her husband, caught her by the arm._

"_Are you alright dearest?" He asked, his face eager. _

_Sookie only stared at him with a puzzled expression on her face. It was clear he wanted to comfort her, but still… should he not be feeling some grief of his own? Little Sverri was his cousin after all, the son of his kinsman who had died trying to reach Thorvalder's boat. Should there not be some heaviness in his heart right now?_

_When she made no reply Thorvalder pulled her close and enveloped her in a sweaty embrace, obviously misreading her silence and thinking her to overcome with grief to speak. Sookie wanted to pull away, but she knew she couldn't. She couldn't because he was her husband. If he wanted to hold her, comfort her, she couldn't speak a word against it, but also because he was a kind husband. Many who had gained a wife in the way he had would not be so gentle or caring with that wife. But for some reason he seemed determined to be good to her, to make their marriage about something other than duty._

_Young as Sookie was, she knew it would be foolish to allow her pain to spoil things. She might never love him, but she would be married to him until one of them died and there was no changing that. It was best to make the best of it._

"_I feel better now, thank you." She said softly, pulling away after what she hoped was an acceptable amount of time._

"_I'm glad." He said, letting her lose, but not before taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilting her face up to meet his._

"_I know it is a sad day, but…I never want you to be anything but happy, my wife." …._

_She had been happy with him, she reflected now as they rounded the last narrow dirt lane, towards the house. Thorvalder was a good man and he had given her three lovely boys, each with his distinctive fire red hair._

_It had been a blessing of the highest order that each of them resembled their father so closely. Since she knew there were those who would have been all too eager to whisper they weren't Thorvalder's at all, had they not._

_It was something which still managed to cut her deeply since, despite the feelings she knew would never go away, she and Eric had been so careful over the years never to step a toe out of line. They both knew their duty and they were both devoted to their families. _

_Eric and Aude had three beautiful children as well. Two strong sons and one enchanting little girl, Thorgunna, who Sookie doted on shamelessly since it appeared she was meant to be the mother of boys only. _

_As they entered the house they saw Thorvalder sitting with Sigurd, their eldest boy, and little Eric, Aude and Eric's eldest child. The boys were both six, Sigurd being only a few months older than his cousin. Thorvalder was holding two beautifully carved toy swords in his hands, one for each of them, and they were both squealing with delight._

_As he handed over the presents, Thorvalder turned to Sookie and Aude with a bright smile on his face. It was a blessing he had since little Sigurd picked that exact moment to try and slay an invisible monster sitting on his father's head. The blunt wood hit Thorvalder on the side of the face instead of on his eyes and nose, but he still yelped in surprise._

"_Alright, out with you both!" Sookie smiled good naturedly as her husband rubbed his now red and no doubt throbbing cheek. "We only slay monsters outside." She laughed chasing the boys out the back door._

"_I see they've found their presents." A deep, laughing voice said off to Sookie's side. Turning she found Eric sitting just outside sharpening his sword with a wetting stone._

"_Hmm, hopefully everyone will come back with all their limbs intact." She answered, leaning up against the side of the house, next to where he sat, and crossing her arms under her chest._

"_I think you should worry more for Gunnar. Father gifted him with his first real one this morning. I love the boy, but he's terrible with it." Eric chuckled._

"_You're taking him with you then?" She asked, already knowing the answer. Gunnar, Eric's younger brother, had turned twelve only weeks before and Sverri had agreed to allow him to go a Viking with his brother and cousin for the first time._

"_Yes, but he'll be staying aboard ship if I have anything to say about it. He needs to learn to sail properly first." Since Eric was captaining the expedition, as he had every summer since the one after his brother died, Sookie had no doubt Gunnar would be doing just that._

"_You seem particularly excited this year." She questioned him, one eyebrow raised._

"_Of course, you know how I love new places. I'm tired of seeing scared Scotsman. I'm looking forward to something more sporting." He emphasized his words by dropping his wetting stone into his lap and cutting a swath of air with his newly sharpened sword. _

"_Just be careful with yourself." Her words were whispered, scared the fates might hear her. _

_She knew, just as she'd known that first summer so many years ago, he loved fighting more than anything. She also knew he was better at it than anyone else, but she still worried about him. She worried more for him than she did her own husband, though she hated herself for admitting that._

"_I'm always careful." He said just as softly, as he stood, propping his sword against the wall next to her and reaching out to her._

_Without thought she came into his embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his middle and breathing in his scent. They held each other, innocently, for a long moment before he leaned down and kissed her forehead._

"_You will take care of things while I'm away?" He asked her as he gently disentangled them._

"_I always do." Sookie laughed a little while she said it, but it was only to hide how tired she already felt._

"_She's fragile, Sookie. She tries to be strong, but…." She knew without having to hear the words that Eric was protective of Aude. _

_Aude might have been Eric's wife, they might have been married these seven years and had children together, some who lived and some who didn't, but to him she was forever the wife of his brother. The sister who had suffered for Eric's imagined mistakes. _

"_I know. I will try to make things as easy for her as I can." _

_Eric just nodded and leaned down to pick up his sword. When he had it in his grasp he stopped for just a second, still bent over. His lips scant inches from Sookie's ear._

"_I love you." He whispered. "Only you, always." _

_Before she could answer he stood straight again, and walked into the house._

_That night, as they prepared to see the men off for another summer of raiding, Aude announced proudly to the whole family she was again pregnant. There were cheers and congratulations all around, the women of the house hugging her and the men clapping Eric on the back as they made lewd jokes. But when no one was looking Sookie caught Eric's gaze and a wave of intense longing passed between them…._

Sookie bolted awake.

It was a comfort she wasn't crying this time, but a very small one. She was still clutching her cell phone, just as she had been when she'd closed her eyes to try and calm herself after talking with Eric…ten hours before.

Looking at the clock and then at the bright sun streaming through the curtains, she knew she had a lot to do today before she met Eric for their date that wasn't a date…to meet someone he wouldn't even name. Squaring her shoulders she got out of bed, feeling grubby from having fallen asleep in her clothes and with dried tears on her face.

She hadn't really made a decision one way or the other about telling him everything, but she figured she'd play it by ear when she saw him tonight. If their phone conversation had been any indication he might not even give her a choice about things.

He'd been more forward over the phone last night than he'd ever been before, at least when it came to sticky things like emotions. She had no idea how he would be tonight, when she'd be trapped in a tiny car with him for two hours, all the way to Shreveport and back.

Putting the thought out of her head, she walked over to her word of the day calendar. The word for this morning was 'Epicene'. It bothered her to no end, her first reaction after she read the definition was to think 'well that's certainly not Eric'.

"OH HELL!" she roared.

Tearing the word off and crumpling it in her hand, she threw the balled piece of paper behind the dresser, and stormed off to grab a much-needed caffeine hit. If tonight went even slightly as she suspected it would, she was going to need as much energy as possible.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: **So I've been stringing y'all along now for 7 chapters now. I thought it was time for some answers. We get some but not all in this one.**

**Also, I know we find out in later books that Sookie's telepathy was a gift from Mr. C, but since this is an AU, I'm throwing that straight out the window. It didn't happen.**

**Last but not least, I just want to again, and profusely, thank everyone who's been following this story, as well as my awesome-as-all-get-out beta, **Northman Maille**.**

Disclaimer:** I own nothing… and I'm taking major liberties!**

"**Who Waits Forever Anyway"**

It was no great surprise to Sookie when Eric was on time the next night, right down to the second. At seven thirty on the dot he met her at the front door, waiting until she'd locked up the house, to bend low and kiss her cheek.

"You look lovely." He whispered in her ear before straightening again.

"Th...thank you." She stuttered out, unable to keep the blush his compliment caused from staining her skin from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair.

She couldn't deny the deep satisfaction his presence brought her, even if she was wary of its cause. Looking him over as he led her to the Corvette, one hand resting possessively on her lower back, she had to admit it probably had very little to do with their blood bond. He was simply a beautiful man.

From his long hair, which fell in a river of gold to the midpoint of his back, to his tall, strong body, meant to wield an impossibly heavy sword able to hew his enemies in half, to his perfect face, which was beautiful in a way that was anything but 'epicene', Eric was all man. All beautiful, desire-inducing man, and Sookie was fairly certain any red-blooded woman would have the same reaction from being this close to him.

As they started the drive to Shreveport, Sookie attempted to ask him again about Jonathan. Their phone conversation from the night before was still fresh in her mind, and she wanted to be in control of what they talked about tonight as much as possible. After all, the best defense was always a good offense. Eric was one of the people who'd taught her that over the years.

"Have you seen him again?" He asked her, his voice tinged with that same uncharacteristic anxiety she'd sensed when they'd talked about the mysterious wedding guest the night before.

"No," she answered. "Should I expect to?"

Eric only shook his head before turning the conversation in a direction she definitely did not want to go.

"After much searching on the part of the Queen's men, it appears Andre did not survive the bombing. For your sake I am glad of this." Sookie wasn't sure how exactly this related to Jonathan, but she tried her best not to look suspiciously over concerned as she answered.

"I'm sure the Queen will miss him." She was proud of herself for sounding so detached.

"The Queen is distraught." He answered her, taking his eyes off of the road for a moment to study her reaction to his words. "Her healing will take many months still."

It felt like he was trying to tell her something else, but Sookie didn't know what. After years of knowing Eric, she was well accustomed to the way he liked to have more than one conversation with her at a time, but tonight she just wasn't up for it. If he wasn't going to tell her plainly what he meant she just didn't have the energy to try to decode his clues, especially when the topic had anything to do with Andre.

For all she knew Eric suspected how Andre had reached his end, and was trying to get her to admit it. She wasn't about to do that. She hadn't asked Quinn to stake him while he was helpless, and she still felt guilty about it. But even so, Sookie couldn't lie to herself. She was relieved that the threat Andre posed was gone. For this, if nothing else, she would forever be grateful to Quinn.

Like a punch to the gut, it finally hit her. Was this why she had been clinging to Quinn until last night, even in the face of his obvious abandonment? Because he'd killed someone for her and she felt…obligated? In terms of grand gestures she supposed it was a rather large one. On the other hand, the repercussions might be very, very bad for both of them.

If she hadn't been sitting in a car with someone she absolutely needed to keep this from, she might have laughed out loud at her 'light bulb over the head' moment. Or she might have been appalled at how the grand gesture of killing people for others seemed to be a uniquely Supe way of showing someone your affection.

Still gratefulness wasn't love and, as she thought more and more about it, Sookie realized she really, _really _didn't want to be with someone who preferred murder to flowers and chocolates as a courting technique. She hadn't wanted it with Bill, when he'd killed her uncle, and she didn't want it with Quinn. As she'd realized last night, she didn't really want Quinn at all.

"Are you well?" Eric asked her, turning to her once more with a look of concern on his face.

"Yeah!" She answered, far too quickly. "Yeah," she said again a little more calmly, "I just… realized something."

They were uncharacteristically silent for the rest of the ride, but Sookie was grateful for it. There was so much spinning around in her head, she felt she wouldn't have been able to trust herself if they were speaking. Eric had a way of making her feel too comfortable for her own good, something else she felt sure she could thank their cursed bond for.

When they pulled up in front of "Les Deux Poissons" a while later, Sookie realized they were in a section of Shreveport she'd never seen before. They were in another strip mall, this one filled with upscale boutiques Sookie would never even think of looking in. They were the kinds of places where, she imagined, they didn't even bother to put price tags on things, since if you had to care how much something cost, you obviously couldn't afford anything they sold.

There weren't many other cars in the parking lot, maybe eight, but they were all shiny, new and expensive looking, like Eric's. It made her self-conscious and she couldn't help glancing down at her clothing and feeling a rather large niggle of inadequacy. She was fairly certain this was not the sort of place a barmaid from Podunk should try to get into.

Her view out the front windshield was suddenly blocked by the body of a very large Viking Vampire, and she felt his hand caress her stomach for an instant before it reached for her seat buckle and unfastened it. Before she could say anything that same Viking Vampire was kissing her again, this time on the mouth.

The kiss was soft and sensual. It was filled with the kind of emotion Sookie had sworn loudly last night, to Eric's face, she didn't think he was capable of anymore. And Sookie was powerless to do anything but kiss him right back. Allowing her mouth to slide gently over his, letting her tongue dart out to lightly caress his fangs, where they rested against his lower lip, and sighing softly as he finally pulled away to let her breathe.

"You are beautiful." He whispered, his face barely an inch from hers. "Never doubt it."

Still dazed, Sookie couldn't do much more than smile at the praise she could feel was genuine.

"Thank you." She whispered back when she could form words again.

She watched as Eric slipped out of the car, coming around to open her door, and offering a hand to help her out too. When she was standing on the pavement, he closed the passenger door behind her and bent to her ear again.

"When we are finished here, there is something I must tell you. Something I can no longer keep from you, in good conscience, now we are so closely bound." He said, looking down on her with an unreadable expression.

Their bond wasn't any help here, or maybe she just wasn't good enough yet at reading what his emotions were trying to tell her, so she just nodded and allowed him to lead her inside. They stopped at the podium in the front foyer, where a woman was waiting to seat guests.

"Party of two?" The seating hostess asked, giving her entire attention to Eric.

"We're meeting someone." Eric answered. The hostess seemed to sit up straighter at that.

"Oh, the gentleman, right this way." She stood up and led them back to a table where a distinguished older man was sitting by himself.

When they arrived Sookie noticed Eric didn't sit. Instead, he and the man looked at each other, seeming to have some sort of intense but wordless conversation, before Eric gestured for her to take a seat.

"Sookie, this is Niall Brigant. He's going to talk to you over supper. I'll be outside if you need me." With that Eric inclined his head stiffly and was gone.

Sookie barely had time to process that she was now alone with this elegant stranger, when she felt a warm hand settle itself on top of hers.

"As the Northman said, I am Niall."

Sookie wasn't sure what to make of any of this, and so she just said the first thing to pop into her head.

"Who are you?" She hoped it wasn't rude of her to ask such a thing so bluntly, but really she felt as though she was owed that piece of information up front, given the circumstances.

"I'm your great grandfather." He answered simply.

It struck Sookie she should be shocked by his statement, uttered as bluntly as her question, but she wasn't. It never even crossed her mind to question his honesty. Somehow she just knew he was being truthful.

Over the course of their meal he told her exactly how it was she came to be his great granddaughter, and how everything she'd thought about her grandmother was nothing more than the comforting lies of a parent who couldn't admit to her own…humanity.

"So you decided to tell me about this…why?" Sookie asked when he'd finished his strange tale.

"I'm old, even for my kind. I would like to know you. I can't atone for the way your life has been shaped by the heritage my son gave you, but I will try to make your life easier, if you'll permit me."

Sookie thought about that for a moment. There was really only one thing she could think of that would make her life easier.

"Can you take my telepathy away?" She knew the hope in her voice was pitiably transparent, but if there was any chance it could be that easy, she'd take it.

"You are asking if I can remove something from the very fiber of your being." The answer to her question was equally obvious and she felt her hope crash to the floor even before he finished his statement. "No I can't do that."

"Well, just thought I'd ask." She whispered disappointedly.

Sookie thought fleetingly about asking if he might be able to find Quinn for her instead. But she dismissed that thought before it was even fully formed. Quinn was a big boy. He could more than take care of himself. If he wanted to talk to her, no matter what his circumstances, he would find a way. Since she really didn't have anything to say to him anymore except to give him the proverbial kiss off, a conversation she wasn't looking forward to, she figured it was best to let that sleeping cat lie.

While Sookie thought of all of this she could see Niall waiting patiently for her to come up with something else he could do for her. As she watched his anticipation mount something else came to her. It was cowardly perhaps, to ask him this, but maybe it would help her figure out if she really did have anything she needed to talk to Eric about, or if she should just reserve herself that place on the mental ward.

"Do you know anything about Vampire blood bonds?" She asked quietly, this time trying not to sound so over eager, before she even knew if he could help her.

Niall gave her question a raised eyebrow but not much more.

"I know something of them yes." He answered, cautiously.

"Then maybe you can help me understand some stuff that's been…troubling me?" Before she could even finish asking her question Niall's face turned predatory.

"If the Vampire is troubling you, I would be more than happy to take care of him for you. Do you wish for me to kill him…end the tie?"

"What? NO!"

Sookie was aware her loud and emphatic reply had garnered them some attention from the other diners, but she couldn't spare the emotion to be embarrassed.

"No, absolutely not!" She said in a more normal tone, though with no less conviction. "I just want some answers. Please promise me you won't do _anything_ to hurt Eric!"

Niall seemed to compose himself as well, dropping his look of bloodlust when he saw how horrified his suggestion left her.

"If that is your wish then I will not harm him. I would not do anything to hurt you dear one."

"Thank you." Sookie finally answered when she felt herself calm down enough to resume her questions. "I just want some information…_that's all_!"

Niall nodded again and Sookie began, uncomfortably, explaining to him her dreams and visions over the past weeks.

Niall's face, which had remained calmly neutral as he'd told her his own fantastic story, seemed to become more and more incredulous with her every word. By the time Sookie was finished, he seemed downright flabbergasted.

"Do you think the bond is causing these dreams?" She finally finished, figuring there was no point in not asking her question no matter how crazy he was about to tell her she was.

Niall sat there silently for several long minutes in which Sookie began regretting she'd said anything. But when she was about to tell him to simply forget it, he opened his mouth to answer her.

"Forgive me child. I had not thought this was a possibility. Fintan watched you for many years and never once did he give me any indication that you had…recovered your memories."

Sookie's head shot up at his last words and her hand, which had been reaching for her wine glass began to tremble so badly she knocked it over instead. She waited in tense silence while their waiter rushed over to clean the broken glass and change the table cloth for them.

Under normal circumstances she would have apologized profusely for her blunder and maybe even offered to help, but instead she just sat there, struck dumb and trying to process what she thought she'd just heard her 'great grandfather' say. When they were alone again she leveled him with a hard look.

"I want to know everything." She told him, her voice hard. "That's what you can do for me."

Niall nodded, looking down at his own hands on the brand new table cloth for a moment, seeming to gather his thoughts.

"I have just told you how it is that you are my great granddaughter in this life. But your…story goes back farther than that child. What you have been dreaming is no dream at all. You lived those things, with the Northman, though I was not aware of your existence then. Fintan kept you even better hidden in that life than he did in this one.

You were his child in that life. The daughter of a Viking woman he tricked into sleeping with him. Unlike Adele, he did not really care for her, but he enjoyed her…company, greatly. Fintan told me much later about his dalliance with her, when he brought your spark home to Faery." He looked up at her than, something like contrition on his face.

"Though he did not love your mother, Fintan was always quite fond of following the lives of his human children and though he never had contact with you he was very interested in you. Unlike your brothers, several of whom were also his, you possessed the essential spark, the… magical essence which all Fae revere.

Because of your spark, I believe Fintan would have wanted to take you away with him, to our realm, but during that time the Fae and the Vampires began a great war. The war was a long, drawn out, and bloody affair, which made it safer for any of mixed blood to remain hidden among the Humans. Fintan was one of my lieutenants during this war and spent much of his time off fighting.

For us, living so long, time passes differently. We don't notice it as much. He saw you at your wedding, he was there, among the villagers, but then did not have the chance to check on you again until many years later. When he came to you again, he told me you were very sick. It was something trifling, something Humans in this day and age would have cured easily with antibiotics or the like, but then…then it could be lethal and for you it was.

Fintan felt great guilt over having left you to suffer so, but by the time he got to you, not even magic could have prevented your death. All he could do was take your spark and bring it back with him. He hoped, even though he was too late to save your physical body he might be able to…recreate you.

Such magic is dangerous and often unstable and, though I regretted what happened to you, I told him I would have nothing to do with it. But with our numbers so depleted first by the war and then by the Humans and their ever expanding defilement of the earth, there were many others with the knowledge and the inclination to help him." Niall seemed content to end his story there, but as overwhelmed as she was, Sookie wasn't ready to simply let it lie.

"Why did he wait so long?" She asked after a moment.

"He hoped to wait out your Vampire." Niall said simply as though the answer was obvious.

"Excuse me?" Sookie was beyond caring how rude she sounded.

"I am not privy to all the details but, of course, the man you loved became a Vampire and continued to exist long after Fintan expected him to live out his natural life. He was certain Eric would not give you up if he discovered you lived again and, given our hostile relationship with the Vampires, he hoped to wait until Eric met the final death before resurrecting you, rather than condemn you to life with such a creature."

"Then why am I here now?" She asked quietly this time, her heart feeling a ripping pain even if she hadn't quite digested everything he'd just dropped on her.

"When Fintan fell in love with Adele and she would not leave her husband, he knew, for the first time, what it was to lose something he truly loved. He became maudlin and…sentimental for many decades, mulling over what he had done to your Vampire by keeping you from living again. He finally decided to place your spark into the womb of your mother when she was pregnant with her second child."

"So am I seeing the life of another woman or is it me?" It was all so confusing, so much to take in, so much to try to muddle through at once.

"No. When Fintan placed your spark into the child which was already growing in your mother, the child who would have been ceased to exist and you were reborn instead, your mind, your heart, your body all as it was a thousand years ago.

But as you grew you seemed to remember nothing. As I told you, such magic is unpredictable. Fintan believed your inability to remember was a consequence of this. When your gift became apparent, Fintan thought it was best to let you try to live as normal a life as possible and to leave things as they were. He believed if you were meant to remember you would. Apparently you are since, even without your memories, you have been drawn to Eric once more and his blood has reawakened you." Niall paused again, looking at her to see if there was anything else she wanted to know, or if he'd given her what she desired.

"You seem overcome child." He offered, patting her hand in a fatherly way. "I have told you much tonight. More than I had intended. I would like very much to see you again if you are willing. I meant what I said. I came here tonight because I wanted to know you."

Sookie nodded, her head swimming with all the things he'd revealed to her.

"Thank you for telling me all this, really." She reassured him, when she saw his questioning look. "I'd like to see you again as well…grandfather. But right now I think there's another conversation I've been putting off for far too long. I have to go."

When Sookie stood, Niall stood with her, taking her hand again warmly and leaning over to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"I understand. I wish you luck, child. Until we meet again."

With barely a backward glance, Sookie fled the restaurant as fast as her feet would carry her.

When she made her way out the door, she found Eric leaning against his car, looking up at the stars.

It was all real, everything.

He must have known. He must have known everything from the first moment he set eyes on her, yet he'd never said anything. He'd…lied to her. Why?

That thought hurt. It hurt more than anything, but even so, she suddenly understood what she'd felt for him, from the beginning, from the moment their eyes had met, to the their time together under his curse, to this very second standing across an empty parking lot in the middle Shreveport, had been real.

She loved him.

She was angry and hurt and getting close to a complete meltdown and she intended to give him hell for it, but she did love him and he loved her. He'd always loved her. It wasn't just the curse and it wasn't just the bond, he loved her. She was sure of it now.

Sookie didn't know how long she'd been standing there, just staring at him, letting everything Niall had told her finally sink in. But when Eric finally looked over at her and their gazes locked she decided she'd shelve giving him hell, and do something her heart had been aching to do for longer than she wanted to admit.

Sookie ran to him, throwing her arms around him and pulling him close as though he were her anchor in a dark and tumultuous storm.

Eric couldn't have known what she'd found out tonight, but it hardly mattered. The second Sookie was in his arms, warm and soft and yielding he tangled his fingers into her hair and brought his lips to hers, kissing her for all he was worth, holding her as though he would break apart if she left his arms.

When they finally pulled apart minutes later, he looked at her, the question clear in his eyes.

"You have a shit load of explaining to do, Eric Northman. But before I start yelling at you, which I totally intend to do by the way, I just need you to know…I love you!"


	9. Chapter 9

A/N:** Thank you all for the amazing response to last chapter! **

**And thanks as always to my beta, **Northman Maille**. I have no idea what I would do without you!**

Disclaimer:** I own nothing….**

"**Who Dares to Love Forever"**

The smile on Eric's face was part shocked, part drunken frat boy, and all lust as he breathed her in again, his eyes rolling back in his head slightly as he savored her scent. Sookie knew he liked to smell her but she'd never gotten_ this_ kind of reaction from him before. She figured Niall's fairy essence must really pack a punch when it wasn't masked.

"I don't know what has prompted your sudden change of demeanor, but," he bent again, burying his face in her hair and inhaling deeply, "when you smell like this….I just want to fuck you and bite you and rub myself all over you." He paused for a moment to smile down on her with drunken warmth. "And I love you too."

Sookie spent one moment, split fairly evenly between melting inside at Eric's admission of love and nearly drowning in yearning at his admission of lust, before pulling herself back together. Focusing again she snapped her fingers in front of his Eric's face.

"Snap out of it, Eric. I need you sober. We're about to get to the yelling portion of the evening." She informed, pushing down the warmth wanting to spread from her heart to every corner of her body, and focusing on her anger at his enormous deception.

"You just admitted you love me and I admitted I love you as well. Why on Earth would we yell at each other?"

"Because you've been keeping something from me…something huge."

Eric just looked at her confusedly for a moment before seeming to shake himself out of his contact high induced stupor.

"Get in the car. I don't want to do this in a parking lot." Sookie grimaced pointing behind him towards 'BLDSKR'.

They were silent until Eric had them back on the mostly empty highway heading east towards Bon Temps. The tension between them was palpable, though Sookie could clearly sense a good deal of bewilderment coming from Eric as well.

"What did Niall tell you?" He finally asked after long miles of empty road.

"I think you know." She answered back curtly.

"I know many things. I want to make sure we're talking about the same one." His voice was cautious now, but it only made the anger and hurt Sookie was feeling burn that much hotter.

"Really, is there anything else as big as you and I had a whole nother life together I knew nothing about?" She snapped while staring at him with a look of utter disbelief.

"Niall told you this?" Eric's fangs shot down as anger consumed their bond.

"No. I've been having dreams and visions since the night we bonded. He only confirmed it for me." She bit back, sending him a healthy dose of her own rage. "I thought I was going crazy."

That seemed to quell his indignation a bit.

"I'm sorry he was the one to tell you." Eric tone was grim. "I was going to tell you tonight. That was what I wanted to talk to you about."

Sookie could feel the honesty of his statement and that coupled with the unexpected apology he'd made helped her regain a little calm.

"Why didn't you tell me before? Why didn't you tell me from the very beginning? How could you keep something like this a secret?" It all came out so fast, Sookie wasn't even sure what she'd said was understandable, but as Eric pulled the car to the side of the road, killing the engine and turning to face her completely, she knew he'd gotten every word.

"Would you have believed me?" He asked, his voice far more controlled than his emotions.

"I…." Sookie trailed off, unable to answer.

"Or would you have thought I was playing a trick on you," he forged ahead, not letting her answer, "that I'd concocted some elaborate story to try to get you to yield to me or convince you to be mine?"

Sookie wanted to tell him she would never have thought such a thing. That it was her right to know and he'd kept it from her wrongly. As much as she would have liked to though, she couldn't. At what point in their relationship had she ever assumed he was doing something for any other reason than to get in her pants? At first she'd even suspected his amnesia was a plot to sneak his way into her bed.

"I wasn't even sure it was you until Dallas." He said sullenly, throwing himself against the back of his seat and sighing in a completely human way, as he pushed a hand through his hair.

"I don't understand?" she answered more softly. "Niall said I was the exact same person, same face, same body, same personality. How could you not have known?"

"Faces repeat themselves Sookie. No one's is completely unique. I have seen people who looked like others I knew more than once in my thousand years, and it's not as if there were any Sookie Stackhouses running around Norway in the Viking age." Somehow his last statement caught her totally off guard.

"What was my name?" He turned back to her then raising one elegant eyebrow in counter question. "When I dream you just call me Sookie." She answered, feeling slightly foolish.

"Signe," he whispered as though he were saying a prayer instead of a name, "Signe Sigfinnursdottir."

"Oh…that's pretty." Sookie whispered, rolling the name around in her brain a few more times, trying to commit the strange sounding syllables to her memory.

"It's beautiful. Just as you were, just as you are."

She shivered at the adoration and the passion in his voice. Looking up at him she saw them there, mirrored in his eyes as well.

"Why did it take you until Dallas to figure it out?" She asked again, knowing if she gave into the look in his eyes now she would be lost to it.

"The first time I met you, that night at Fangtasia, I thought I'd finally lost my mind. You can't understand what it is to wait for someone as long as I've waited for you Sookie, the endless centuries of hope, only to be still alone at the end of each one. I have always prided myself on my strength, on my perseverance, but a thousand years…it is an eternity to anyone and I am shamed to admit I gave up hope.

That was why I made Pam, to end my loneliness, my longing for you. I was so alone and I wanted to move on, to forget. When I saw her, she reminded me so much of you, her strength, her intelligence, her love for life; another woman of incredible spirit trapped by the chains of a society which wanted to stifle all that made her special.

I thought I could channel all of my love for you to her. But… you already know that did not happen. Pam and I love each other, in our own way, and I have never regretted turning her, but she is a companion, a…friend. We both realized quickly we were not meant to be mates or even lovers really.

But when she grew apart from me, I took it as a sign I would forever be alone and I tried to bury my pain and any other emotions I had left deep inside, to lock them away where they could never bother me again. Then and only then, when I had finally given up did you come walking into my bar on the arm of Bill Compton.

It didn't occur to me at first that you simply did not remember, and I could not understand why you were there with him, why you did not come to me. And then you allowed him to call you his. I thought it was another cruel joke of fate, a woman who looked like my love but was not.

But then, the way you talked to me, the way you met me word for word, so unafraid. I couldn't stop myself from doubting, but I couldn't convince myself it wasn't you either. That's why I summoned you the next time to read Bruce. I would have figured out it was Longshadow eventually, even without your help, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see you again.

Both of those first times you were scared, as you should have been given what happened the night you discovered Longshadow's treachery, and it was impossible for me to get any kind of impression of what you were really like. But in Dallas you seemed to open up a little more, to let me see you as you really are, and when you did, all your mannerisms, all your expressions they were exactly the same. I knew it was you."

Without realizing it, Sookie's hand reached out, taking his where it rested on the gear shift.

"You're right, in the beginning I wouldn't have believed you, but why not later Eric?"

The snort that came from his mouth was so unexpected Sookie actually reared back slightly, her shoulder hitting the passenger door. It was a sound she couldn't ever remember him making before.

"You didn't remember, what was the point? Sookie how long have I been trying to get you to tell me, truthfully, what happened between us when I was cursed?" He stopped then, waiting for an answer, but Sookie couldn't give one. Instead she just looked away, down at her feet on the floor mat, feeling ashamed all over again for keeping such essential truths from him.

"And yet you still will not. The only time you have ever cared for me, opened up to me, truly been mine was when I was not even myself. What other conclusion can I draw from this than that you do not, nor will you ever be able to love me for who I am.

What then where my options? Tell you and watch while you laughed and threw the most important memory of my existence back in my face? Or wonder always if you had taken me back because you somehow felt obligated? I can live if you don't love me anymore, I have lived without you for a thousand years, but I could not bare something so deeply sacred to me and watch you spit on it."

Sookie opened her mouth then, ready to vehemently deny she would have done either of those things, but again he cut her off.

"Even now, when you have finally remembered, it is to Niall, a complete stranger, you have gone first. And only then, after he has told you this story, do you believe it and come to me confessing your love."

Without another word, Eric turned away from her, starting the engine again and pulling them back onto the road. The rest of the drive they said nothing to each other, each lost in their own pain, but when Eric pulled up in front of the farmhouse, Sookie knew she couldn't let him leave.

She'd been crying silently since he'd brought up Niall and she hadn't stopped since, even for a moment. She knew he was right. She hadn't ever been ready to hear these things. There was never a time when she would have accepted them at face value, for what they were. But he was very wrong if he thought she could never love him as he was now. She already did. She'd been stubborn, and she'd been blind, but even without a memory of the life they'd lived together a thousand years ago, she'd always been drawn to him. Even when others called him evil, manipulative, and monstrous she'd always seen down to the truth.

She didn't know when exactly she'd started loving him, but she was sure it was before Hallow's curse. Her denying him had never, ever been about her feelings for him, not really. It had always been about fear, because she couldn't know his.

All her life she'd been privy to everyone's thoughts, their feelings, their inner voices, all telling her what people would do before they did it. And all her life she'd always hated it, wanted to be rid of it, wanted to be a normal person as much in the dark about people's inner truths as anyone else.

It was what had drawn her to Vampires to begin with, their silence, the way they allowed her to be just a normal person. Yet when she finally had what she'd always wanted, she found herself totally handicapped by her inability to decipher their cues. (Not that Vampires had as many as living people, but….)

Because she couldn't 'hear' that Eric cared for her, she had always had a hard time believing he did. She almost laughed when she realized this had been her problem with more people than just him. She'd believed Bill's claims of affection at face value because she couldn't hear any different, and her naiveté had cost her there too.

Eric was out of the car the second it was parked, coming around to her side and opening her door to help her out. This time, when she was standing in front of him though, there were no whispered words or fleeting caresses.

"Be careful of Niall. I have no doubt he is sincere in his wish to know you, but he comes with many enemies and much danger." He would have left her then, but with a force Sookie couldn't even begin to imagine she possessed, she grabbed onto his arm, clutching at it, determined to make him drag her with him if he didn't stay still.

"I do love you, Eric. It has nothing to do with these memories and it has nothing to do with our bond. I love you. I just could never believe you loved me or even cared for me too!" She sobbed out, more tears coursing down her face.

As she looked up at him, through her tears, she had one of those fleetingly surreal moments when whole portions of her life seemed to be summed up in one quick sound bite. She could almost see him turning to her as she begged him not to go, as she confessed she'd finally figured it all out, and telling her that frankly he didn't give a damn anymore.

Instead he reached up slowly and, with more gentleness than she'd ever seen from a Vampire, wiped the tears from her eyes, letting his hand drop back down without tasting them.

"I have protected you, defended you, given you that which you need, taken bullets for you, slain enemies, over and over again, Sookie. I even allowed Compton to live after he…_violated_ you in Jackson," Eric's voice became a deadly growl as he admitted the last, "only because I knew you could not stand to have his death on your conscience. What more could I have done to show you I care?"

"You knew what Bill did?" She squeaked out, hating to even think of it, but unable to let the statement pass.

"I did. He spent three weeks in a silver coffin for it and, honestly, it wasn't enough. He was let out early by Pam to help fight in the witch war and frankly he should be grateful. There will never be a severe enough punishment for the wrongs he has committed against you."

"He told me he was going to Peru, on assignment for the Queen." She blurted out.

"He was not." Eric's reply was matter-of-fact. "He was in storage, in a warehouse I own on the docks in Shreveport." With that, he seemed ready to try and leave again, but Sookie tightened her grip on his arm once more.

"Please don't go. Eric, I know there's sense in what you're telling me, I do. But you have to understand…when you did those things for me, I always thought it was because you wanted to protect an asset, and yes because I thought you wanted to sleep with me. But…Eric I'm no good at this. I've only had one real relationship my whole life, Bill, and you know how that turned out. I know all the things you've done for me I just…couldn't see the forest from the trees!"

"Why could you ask Niall, but not me?" He countered after a long moment when he seemed to mull over her explanation.

Sookie sobbed again, her voice catching on a hiccup as she felt the utter betrayal coursing through Eric when he thought about her telling those things to her new found great grandfather.

"Eric you have to understand. I thought I was going nuts. I thought I'd finally become 'Crazy Sookie' like folks here have always called me." Anger shot through her then and since she'd made peace with what the fine people of Bon Temps thought of her long ago, she knew it couldn't be hers. "But I was also afraid. Y'all are real private, Vampires I mean. What if I told you and you didn't like that I knew anything about your past? It would have hurt if I'd just been going crazy and you laughed at me, but I was terrified that if you disliked what you heard you might…."

He did pull away from her then, kicking the beautiful gravel he'd bought her not a year ago like tiny missiles launching under his boot.

"YOU THOUGHT I WOULD KILL YOU!" He roared at her when he finally turned around. "How many times? How many times to do I have to save you woman before you finally get it through your incredibly thick skull? I am not a monster come to hurt you! I love you! I have loved you for a millennium!"

Sookie knew yelling back at an enraged Vampire was probably pretty high on the 'things likely to earn you a Darwin Award' list. But then Eric had always accused her of having poor survival instincts.

"Yes and it would have been really nice if, at _any _point in the last two years, you bothered to actually SAY THAT!" She pitched right back. "You didn't have a problem saying it when you were human! You said it all the time. So why couldn't you say it again before tonight?"

Eric pinned her with a look of total fury, but when he went to open his mouth again, no sound came out. He'd opened and closed it several times without success before his eyes finally dropped from hers and his shoulders slumped in something that looked like defeat.

"I am not that man anymore, Sookie. A thousand years of living death have changed me. There are things I could not say, things I feared I could not feel anymore until you came back into my life. And even knowing it was you, that I'd finally found you again, those walls are hard to break back down when you have built them so high. It is harder still when you have no expectation of hearing such words in return."

Sookie was unsure if Eric would actually let her touch him, but she couldn't stop herself from closing the three steps separating them, and putting her arms around his middle. He didn't return her embrace, but he didn't pull away either.

"I can't know all the things you've lived through Eric. I can't even imagine them. But I do know one thing, I know it with all my heart. The man you were a thousand years ago still lives inside you. I've seen him. He was just like the you who stayed with me when you couldn't remember anything. He was just like the you who took care of me in Jackson after Club Dead. He was just like the you who saved me from the Pelts, the you who bonded with me to spare me from Andre, and the you I'm looking at right now. I see him, in you, clearly right now and I love you. Please, can you forgive me for not seeing him before? Can you give me one more chance?" As Sookie stared into his eyes, she knew hers were filled with a type of desperation she'd never felt before.

"Can you forgive me for keeping this from you for so long?" He answered her with another question.

"Yes." Sookie answered without hesitation. "Don't leave. Come inside with me…and stay."

"Till dawn?" He whispered smiling just a little as he said it, his arms finally coming up to hold her.

"Till this dawn, till tomorrow's, for all the dawns afterwards."

"I love you Sookie. I promise it will never be far from my lips again."

"I love you Eric. I promise to remember that from now on, even when you don't say it."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: **Thanks so, so much for the lovely reviews for last chapter. **

**Some people where wondering if the story is drawing to a close. I'd say we're about halfway there. I hope I'm not overstaying my welcome by continuing but I didn't see the 'I love you's as the end of the story. There's still more to go in the present as well as the past.**

**And thanks as always to my amazing beta **Northman Maille**! I just don't know what I would do without you.**

Disclaimer:** I own nothing….**

"**Touch My World with Your Fingertips"**

They walked into the house hand and hand, not saying anything, just reveling in the feeling of being together. When Sookie closed the front door behind them she noticed the little piece of paper stuck to it, covered in Amelia's distinctive handwriting:

_Pam invited me out. Be back sometime tomorrow morning. Hope all went well._

Sookie laughed just a little while reading it. Then looked at Eric with a raised eyebrow as she laid the note on the little table where she and Amelia always stowed their keys.

"Would you have had something to do with this?" She asked. "I didn't think Pam and Amelia were 'spending time' together anymore."

Eric shrugged his shoulders, even as he pinned her with a mischievous smile.

"I might have mentioned to Pam that I hoped to get some alone time with you after our dinner engagement tonight. She has always been very…proactive when it comes to helping me achieve my goals. It's one of the reasons I put up with some of her other, less endearing character traits."

"Sure." Sookie laughed a little. "You love her and you know it."

Eric smiled brightly, as he closed his arms around her again.

"I do. Though I will deny it if you ever tell her so. But what I feel for Pam… it does not even come close to what I feel for you." He said, already keeping his promise never to hide his feelings from her again. "I have never loved anyone the way I love you." He whispered, just before his lips took hers in a searing kiss.

When Eric pulled away to let her breathe, Sookie felt lightheaded in a way that had very little to do with lack of oxygen.

"I love you too." She whispered as her arms squeezed him tight and her face buried itself in the hard plains of his chest. "I'm sorry it took me so long to see it." She felt his kiss on the top of her head before his lips began a slow, reverent journey down to her ear, sucking lightly before dropping lower to nuzzle the pulse just beneath.

"We have both made mistakes Lover. Do not them weigh upon you. We are together now. Just be with me, love me, and let me love you."

"Just try to stop me." She said, smiling softly as she felt him take a long, deep inhale of her scent, which she assumed was still suffused with Fairy when he shuddered visibly, and tightened his arms around her.

"Never." He swore as his lips dipped lower, tracing the line of her collar bone. "You are mine as I am yours." He pulled away suddenly, a look that encompassed both trepidation and possessiveness darkening his beautiful features. "You are mine, are you not Sookie?"

Their phone conversation from the night before floated through her mind, but this time she had no problem telling him exactly what he wanted to hear. In fact, she found she couldn't stifle the words, even if she'd wanted to.

"I'm yours Eric. There isn't anyone else. You were right. I don't love him and I never did. He might not know it yet, but it's over. There isn't anyone for me but you, and there never will be again."

The words were barely out of her mouth before he'd lifted her into his arms. In the blink of an eye they were in her bedroom and he was lowering her back to the floor, sliding her sensually along the length of his body, letting her feel every hard inch him as his lips attacked hers with a need that was both completely new and utterly familiar all at once.

"I love you." He breathed against her mouth as his hands reached down to the hem of her silk shirt and began lifting it, exposing her skin to his exploring fingers. "I love you." He said again as he lifted the material up and off, his hands sliding back down her raised arms, caressing the sides of her breasts teasingly, before slipping behind to undo the clasp of her bra with expert ease. "Only you." He intoned as the hooks gave and the simple black cotton came loose.

Sookie lowered her arms and the bra fell to the floor between them, completely forgotten as those same hands moved forward again to cup the heavy swells of her breasts.

Eric's fingers began to slide back and forth over her nipples, raising them to hard peaks, even as her own fingers began working the button of his pants. They snapped it open as though they had a mind of their own, while her head swam with the pleasure he was eliciting from just the pads of his thumbs on her pebbled skin.

"Eric please." She pleaded breathlessly, her eyes rising to lock with his. "I need you. I need you so badly. You can't understand how much."

His eyes seemed to blaze at her admission.

"I do. I can feel it. Close your eyes." He commanded. "Do you feel it? There in our bond. Do you feel how it burns?"

Sookie could only nod as she concentrated hard on the emotions zinging back and forth between them, so much stronger now she was actively listening to them.

"What you feel is _our_ need. Yours and mine combined, one spurring the other, both driving each other." He murmured just before he bent and took one of her aching nipples between his lips, sucking hard as his hands continued to squeeze and knead her breasts.

"Eric!" Sookie barely recognized her own voice as she whimpered his name, her hands coming up, digging into his hair and holding him to her with a force she could hardly believe she possessed.

No one had ever made her feel the way he did. The fact she could have him now without shame because she belonged to another, or fear because she couldn't truly be sure if he returned her feelings, heightened every touch, made every caress that much more meaningful. He was hers, in a way she'd never imagined he would be, and she could finally allow herself to be his, in a way she'd only ever been in her dreams that weren't dreams.

The rest of their clothes seemed to melt away, without Sookie actually being sure how they got from their bodies to the floor, and then he was lowering her to the bed. Laying her gently on top of the blankets, his lips took hers again.

His tongue sought entrance which she granted, without hesitation, as her own darted out to caress the sharp tips of his fangs. His groan of pleasure was like music to her ears as his hands came down to grasp the swells of her bottom, hauling her up so he could rub the rock hard length of his erection through her soft, wet slit.

"Open your eyes, Lover. Look at me." He breathed into her mouth.

Sookie's eyes popped open at his words and she realized she'd had them closed almost the entire time, willingly drowning in the emotions going back and forth between them through this strange, new, magical connection.

"I love you." She said again, having happily lost count of how many times they'd said it already tonight.

This time Eric sent her his love in strong waves instead of answering her with words, and smiled adoringly before his whole body began to move slowly down the length of hers. His lips stopped again at her breasts, kissing and licking both with equal ardor before dipping lower, sliding wetly over each of her ribs, his tongue dipping teasingly into the indentation of her navel.

Sookie was practically shaking with need when Eric finally reached his destination, blowing cool air over her heated core and watching with delight as she shivered and whimpered. When he took the first taste of her though, it was his turn to shudder and Sookie could feel the soul deep delight coursing through him.

"Lover," he moaned, "you taste…God I've never had anything so delicious." They were his last words as he dove into her, licking and sucking on her over sensitized flesh with abandon. He dipped his tongue into her entrance drawing out the sweet essence of her desire before driving two fingers deep inside and concentrating all his efforts on her throbbing bundle of nerves.

It took only a few delirious moments for Sookie to reach her peak and she came screaming as Eric turned his head to the side and sank his now aching fangs into the soft skin of her thigh.

The stars had barely cleared from her vision when she felt him kiss and lick his way back up to her mouth. He kissed her with abandon, letting her taste the heady mix of her desire and her blood, covering his mouth, as he aligned them and thrust into her in one long, slow movement.

Sookie screamed again, something that started as Eric's name but ended as nothing more than an animalistic noise of ecstasy, as she locked her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. She felt Eric's fingers tangle roughly into her hair as he began to move inside her, plunging deep and riding her wildly.

"Sookie!" He moaned over and over again as he moved inside her, shaken by the overwhelming pleasure and pleased beyond belief that she could take him so completely.

With what little sense he still had he probed their bond, making sure she was well, that she felt only bliss in their joining. Her rapture telegraphed to him clearly and he lost himself in their passion, forgetting everything but the feeling of finally being inside her.

Their eyes locked as they rocked frantically against each other and, just as he had when he was cursed, Eric began to speak to her in his old language, whispering praises and gasping his pleasure with each hard pump of his hips.

The moved against each other for what seemed like hours until they were both coated in Sookie's sweat and she was nearly breathless, panting his name in frantic whispers and broadcasting her desperate need to come.

Knowing he couldn't last much longer, Eric finally brought one of his hands down and began to work his fingers lightly over her nub, giving her the final push she needed to fall over the edge, sobbing from the power of her release. He followed seconds later with a roar of surprise as her muscles, an agonizingly pleasurable vice, forced his release over and over again.

When Sookie opened her eyes minutes later, Eric was lying beside her, his arms wrapped around her and her head lying limply on his chest. She noticed there was a purplish mark, already healing, on his shoulder, just above where she lay and realized she must have bitten him when she'd come…hard. Blushing straight to scarlet it dawned on her that she had no memory of it. Her orgasm had ripped through her with such intensity she'd all but blacked out from the pleasure.

"Are you well?" He asked, the words concerned even as his tone dripped in smug satisfaction.

"I'm…I'm…Wow!" She answered, hiding her head in the crook of his arm as she realized she didn't have words for just how 'well' she was.

"I think that about sums it up." He laughed holding her tighter and laying gentle kisses in her hair. "You seem somewhat surprised though. Was I not as…'wow' before, when I lacked my memories?"

His voice was still light as he asked her, but Sookie could sense a myriad of warring emotions through their bond. Genuine curiosity, frustration, which Sookie guessed was because he still didn't know the whole of what happened between them, and a bit of worried male pride mixed in, that he might have disappointed her in the past. Wrapping her arms around him tighter, Sookie nuzzled her face into his chest, kissing him softly in reassurance.

"No, it was always 'wow'." She laughed, smiling up at him. "I think it's the bond, everything just feels…more somehow, like wow times a thousand!"

Her explanation seemed to appease him and he nodded, kissing her head and closing his eyes in what felt like total bliss. They were silent for a few long minutes as Sookie breathed deep, willing her body to calm down and begin working properly again. When she felt a little more sure headed, she lifted away slightly, resting her weight on an elbow so she could see Eric's face.

"I know I have a lot that I need to tell you. Things I should have a long time ago, but…" She broke off then, her expression turning sad and puzzled all at the same time. "Will you tell me how it ended for us?" Her voice was just a whisper as she spoke the last words.

"Lover?" He asked back, unsure of what she meant.

"Our lives, when we were both Human?"

In hushed tones she told him all she'd seen in her dreams and how she still didn't know what happened to them.

"Did we ever find our way back to each other? Niall told me I got sick and Fintan visited me and brought my spark back to their…world, because he was unable to heal me. But apparently my grandfather didn't tell him everything. He just said Fintan was trying to wait you out before…I don't know bringing me back, but that he felt guilty after he fell in love with my grandmother and decided not to wait any longer."

Eric's emotions seemed to go dark and churning at her words and she could feel his anger as though it were her own, though the expression on his face never changed.

"Is that what he told you?" He asked darkly.

Sookie only nodded her head, to overwhelmed by his rage and pain to say anything.

"Fucking Fairies." He spat all of the sudden.

"What happened?" She whispered again, unable to make her voice any louder….

_Looking out the window, Eric surmised it was well into the early hours of the morning already. Still all of them sat around the long table, his father, his brother Gunnar, Thorvalder and Thorvalder's father, worry and anxiety filling up the room as the men of the family glanced every few moments at the white curtain that separated the majority of the house from where the women had gathered to help Aude through another birth._

_The children had all piled into one of the big beds together hours before, too tired to care anymore about the sounds of pain and exhaustion that rhythmically filled the house. _

_Just as it had been all those years ago, Sookie walked through the curtain just moments after a final sharp cry of pain. Her hands were bloody this time though, bloody and empty. _

_With tears coursing down her cheeks she walked directly up to Eric._

"_I'm sorry Eric." She whispered when she reached the wall of men who'd stood from the table the second she'd pulled back the divider. "It was a girl. She drew a few breaths but then just faded away." _

"_And Aude?" He asked, trying to keep the bitter disappointment and pain from his voice._

"_They're cleaning her up now. You should go to her. She's very weak. The midwife is worried for her." Eric only nodded his head as he began to move past Sookie towards where his wife lay._

_The outcome of this birth, though sad, hadn't been entirely unexpected. They'd returned from their raid the summer before laden with treasure only to have an early frost destroy most of the crops while they were still in the ground._

_The winter had come quick and hard and, without the harvest, the village had barely been able to scrape together enough to keep alive. They'd had to kill a great many of their livestock in order to keep food in their mouths over the harsh snowy months and if it had not been for the treasure and money they'd taken during the summer's raid, which they'd been able to trade for some of what they'd lost, they would have all surely starved to death. As it was they'd barely made it through._

_And with hunger and cold inevitably came disease. _

_Many had been taken from them this winter. Mostly the very young and the very old, who were too weak to stand the deprivation. In their home both of Eric's grandparents had succumbed as well as Sookie's youngest boy, who had been barely two years old. Aude, pregnant and vulnerable, had pulled through, but she'd been so weakened it was no surprise the baby had died or that her own life was hanging in the balance._

_As he knelt before his wife now, knowing these were very probably their last moments together, he took her hand and tried to be strong. She'd been a good wife to him these eight years. She'd put aside her feelings and her grief to do her duty. She'd nurtured and cared for their children and, knowing she was not the one he wanted, she'd always tried to be what he needed: a partner and a friend, a woman who would never ask for his love, even as she gave her devotion. He only hoped that she could say the same about him._

"_Eric, I'm sorry." She whispered, when she felt his hand, cool in hers as she burned with fever. _

"_Don't apologize. You've done nothing wrong. You have only to get better, grow stronger. There will be more children." He whispered back to her._

_She seemed to smile at that, even as she shook her head._

"_Don't patronize me." She tried to laugh, though it came out more as a croak. "I'm not sad, so you shouldn't be either. Do you think he's waiting for me…in Freya's hall?" _

_Eric had no need to ask who she was talking about and knowing her mind had wandered there he was sure she wouldn't fight. She wanted to go._

"_I have no doubt." He answered, squeezing her hand gently, and smiling down on her, not wanting to weight her journey with grief. "He is there with little Sverri too, they're waiting for you, along with this little one and the others who were not long in this world."_

"_I hope you're right. I cannot wait to see them again." She breathed, before turning to him with sad eyes. "I'm going to my happiness, my only regret is that my passing will not bring you yours. You've been a good husband to me Eric, a better husband than any woman could have asked for. I only wish it could have been different for all of us. I have loved you and Sookie both, to be the one that came you between you…I'm sorry."_

_He hushed her then, with a kiss to her forehead. _

"_That was none of your doing and nothing you should apologize for. He would not have died if I…." After years of wallowing in this particular guilt, Eric still had no idea how to finish that sentence. _

_Sverri would not have died if Eric's boat had been closer, if Eric had jumped into the ocean to save him, if…if what? There was only that feeling at the pit of his stomach that his brother should still be alive. If Sverri had lived none of it would have happened. Aude would never have been broken by her grief. She never would have gone into labor early and little Sverri would have lived. He and Sookie would have married, loved and born the children they should have together. They all could have been happy._

"_You will tell her anyway?" Aude's voice, weakening by the moment, broke into his revere. "You will tell Sookie I'm sorry." _

"_I will if you wish it." He answered. _

_Aude just nodded her head and said no more. She seemed to drift off into sleep a few minutes later and though her body held on for another few hours, it was clear her spirit was already gone._

_As the sun began to stream through the small windows, lighting the darkness where the fire had long gone out, Eric felt Sookie's hands fall on his shoulders. Turning where he sat, Eric buried his face in her stomach as her arms came up around him. _

_They stayed for long minutes like that, Sookie just holding him, stroking his hair and crooning wordless noises of comfort. They would have to call the others soon to begin preparing Aude's body, and the baby's too, but for now all he wanted to stay in Sookie's arms, saying goodbye to what had been, knowing he had his wife's blessing for it as she was already making her way to the one she loved._


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: **Not much to say, except a hearty thank you to everyone who's continued to follow this story. My family and I are going through some stress right now and I'm so grateful to you all for the kind comments and encouragement, it's kept me writing.**

**And of course thank you to my wonderful beta, **Northman Maille. ** I would be lost without her guidance, her support and her never ending well of coffee-snorting humor to kick start my mornings!**

Disclaimer:** I own nothing…I'm just letting Eric continue his sad story, cause I'm a masochist plain and simple.**

"**When Love Must Die"**

_The spring after Aude's death had been quiet. They'd laid her to rest three days after her passing, with their child clutched in her arms. There had been sadness and he had mourned for her, but deep down Eric knew she was happy, and he felt peace in that._

_Life went on as it inevitably did. His family: his mother, his aunts, and Sookie most especially had taken it on themselves to help the children as they became used to life without their mother. It was for them, more than for himself or for Aude, that he felt the greatest grief. They could not understand the subtleties of the relationships that bound the adults in their lives together, or the fact that, for their mother, death had been a release. They only knew she was gone and no one, no matter how loving or kind, would ever replace her._

_Life had seemed to return to a certain amount of normalcy as the summer came upon them. Eric had turned his attention to preparing the men of the village for their annual summer a Viking, when his father pulled him aside one evening after most of the house had already gone to bed. Sverri was just returned from a gathering of the local chieftains and it seemed much had been accomplished. _

"_I've received an offer of marriage for Gunnar." Sverri said as he picked up the jug of mead on the table and refilled both his cup and Eric's. "Halfdan Thorpson wishes to marry his daughter Ingjerd to him. She's thirteen this winter." _

_Eric nodded his head, not seeing there was much to say about the matter. Halfdan was the chief of a village half a day to the south of them. He was honorable and well respected, an able chief and a fierce warrior. Allying their families would be a wise decision. _

"_It would be a good match." Eric finally said after a long draught from his cup. "Gunnar should contribute some of his share from our raid this summer to the girl's Bride Price. It'll make him work harder." _

_Sverri only laughed softly at Eric's suggestion. Gunnar wanted so badly to be counted a man, but in his behavior he was still more a child… a spoiled child. Knowing he was working toward earning himself a wife would be the perfect motivation for his youngest son to do his best on his second summer a Viking. _

"_Hmm. You're probably right." Sverri paused to finish off his cup before broaching the topic which was the real reason he'd kept Eric from his bed. "Halfdan has another daughter as well, Ronja. According to Thorpson she's the beauty of the family. She was betrothed to another but the boy died over the winter. She's sixteen." _

_Eric stopped midway through refilling his cup, simply staring at his father. Sverri didn't need to say anymore for Eric to understand his meaning. Without realizing it, Eric's eyes cut across the room to the far bed, where Thorvalder snored away, a giant arm and one tree like leg thrown carelessly over Sookie's quietly slumbering form._

_Even after eight years the sight still had the power to make his insides clench with pain, and his vision turn green with jealousy. It should be him holding Sookie in the dark. It should be his body warming hers through the endless seeming winters. It should be him making her sigh in the night!_

_With Aude there had never been any misunderstanding of what was between them. They were partners and friends. He was faithful and caring, as was she, but what truly bound them was duty and mutual grief. Neither had ever asked for the other's love. Nor had they ever begrudged the truth that when they held each other it was other people they were picturing in their minds. _

_But Thorvalder… he genuinely loved Sookie. Of that Eric had no doubt. He had done everything in his power to make Sookie love him too. Eric wondered if Thorvalder realized that though Sookie was a faithful wife, her heart never had, nor ever would belong to him._

_Thorvalder's delusions were often irksome, but if he chose to blind himself to the truth there was nothing Eric could do to stop him. The thought of bringing and innocent into all of this though…. A young girl with her whole life in front of her, who would expect things he could not give. In a village this small it wouldn't take her very long to discover that Eric's faithfulness had nothing to do with her charms or affections, but rather the fact that the only women he had ever wanted shared a house with them._

_At sixteen, he doubted any girl would have the strength or maturity to handle such knowledge with grace. No. For the sake of peace in their home if nothing else, it could not be allowed to happen. He'd done his duty. He'd married the woman his family had ordered him to against the wishes of his own heart. He'd bred two strong sons who would lead their people after him, and a beautiful daughter who would make a good match when the time came, and increase their family's honor. He'd earned the right to live out the rest of his days alone if he could not live them with Sookie._

"_Eric…." His father called him back from his thoughts. "She will never be yours. You must put it out of your head. You have three children to think of. They need a mother. When you become chief, after me, you will need an able woman by your side. It is not good or right for a man to be alone." Sverri would have continued no doubt, but the sound of Eric's cup hitting the table, hard enough to jostle the other things still on it, startled him into silence._

"_Father, No!" Eric bit out through clenched teeth. _

"_Eric, yes." Sverri bit back, every bit as impassioned now. _

"_I am not alone." Eric tried to reason. "I have you, and my mother, and the rest of the family. The children do not want for love or care. No one will ever replace their mother. Marry Gunnar to Ingjerd. That is more than enough to secure an alliance. Leave me out of it!" _

"_You need a wife, Eric. I have found you one. You will marry her." His father responded, his stern tone broking no refusal._

_They stared each other down for one long, tense moment before Eric sent the ceramic jug hurtling across the room, to break into a hundred mead soaked pieces on the wall._

"_I have ALWAYS done what you asked of me. Why is it never enough? Why must you keep pushing? Ask me for anything else and I will do it, anything but this!" Eric had never pled for anything before, but he did so now. He could not marry this girl._

"_You are not safe with only two sons Eric. You must have more." His father spat exasperatedly. Sighing deep when he saw his words made no difference he tried a different approach with his suddenly headstrong son. "You know I would have let you marry her. You have always been my favorite child, Eric. I would have sacrificed much to give you all you wanted from this life. But destiny has intervened. This is your life now, this is your path. Your destinies may run parallel to each other but they will never intersect. Sookie will never be yours. Now do your duty, to me, to this village, to your children and do what I ask." With that Sverri was up, crossing the room to the bed where Eric's mother already slept, a clear sign the conversation was over._

_An hour later, Eric was still sitting at the table, staring out at the dark sky when he felt the bench give slightly beside him. _

"_How much did you hear?" He whispered without turning his head. _

_He didn't need to look to know who it was. Even if the soft scent of lavender, honey and wheat were not tickling his nose, or the silk of her unbound hair was not caressing his forearm, he would know her presence instinctively. _

_She was a part of his very soul. _

_It was how he knew his father's words where wrong. They were each other's destinies, each other's other half. Living without Sookie would be like living without a limb. It was the only reason he was still sane in this insane life they had been forced to live._

_For all his jealousy and pain, he would rather see her, every day, belong to another than not see her at all._

"_All of it." She answered back, her voice equally soft._

_Eric only nodded._

"_If it were not for the children…." His voice trailed off, knowing he couldn't finish those words without breaking._

"_How far would we get?" She sighed bitterly, knowing what he would say. "Where would we go? No one would help us. No one would take us in. We'd starve to death the first winter. A person is nothing in this world without family." _

"_We could take one of the smaller boats, make for Iceland…." He turned to her then, his eyes filled with such longing. She could drown in them if she wasn't careful._

"…_We could build a little farm." Sookie picked up their fantasy. "The great men there would fall all over themselves to have your sword arm under their fealty…." _

"_Your children would be mine…." Eric's voice was barely above a whisper as he placed his hand over hers._

"_And yours would be mine." Sookie voice trembled in reply._

_It was only when Eric's warm hand cupped her cheek and his thumb brushed away the wetness from her eyes that Sookie even realized she'd begun to cry. When they sat like this, dreaming in the dark, it all seemed so possible! _

_And then a snuffling sound from across the room caught Sookie's attention. Turning she saw one of her boys, Sigurd, tossing restlessly in his sleep, until his younger brother threw an arm over him. The boys snuggled closer under the furs, and then fell back into the deep sleep only children ever seemed to achieve._

_Sookie felt her hopes shatter even as her heart swelled with love. _

_She could never leave them. No matter how much a very large part of her thrilled at the thought of running with Eric in the middle of the night, she knew she never could. Her sons needed her. It was why she would always stay, why she would never contradict Thorvalder when he spoke sweetly to her, why she'd made her peace with Aude all those years ago. Because one look into Sigurd's tiny face, on the day he'd been born, made her realize she would sacrifice anything for him, even her own life._

_Though, since Eric was her life, she supposed she'd already forfeit that long ago._

"_Will you marry her this summer or next?" Sookie asked, looking away from her children and to her hand which was still hidden in Eric's much larger one._

_Eric had seen where Sookie's eyes had been drawn and, as she took in her children, he had looked to his own. His two boys huddled together in one bed and his little girl, who'd suffered the most from the loss of her mother, cuddled under the blankets of his, clutching her mother's pillow tight in her little fists as she dreamed, even though Aude's scent had long faded from the material._

_He couldn't leave them anymore than Sookie could leave hers. They were trapped, now as much by love as by duty._

"_I doubt my father will let it go till next year." Was all Eric said as he rose from the bench, taking Sookie with him._

_Making one last sweep of the room with his eyes, he bent low and kissed her softly on the lips. It was as far as he'd ever gone in the last eight years and he knew he should pull away, but when Sookie's hands threaded themselves through his hair he found himself pulling her closer rather than pushing her away._

_Their mouths caressed each other, trying desperately to convey all the love they'd been forced to lock so tightly away, as the passion that would never fade flared between them. Eric's hands swept over Sookie's body possessively, touching and caressing every inch of her he could reach, while Sookie pressed herself into him, desperate to feel his body against hers._

_They were panting as much from need as from lack of air when they stopped to breath._

"_It does not matter who you marry, you are mine Eric Sverrison. Never doubt it." Sookie whispered into his mouth minutes later when they still had not pulled apart. _

"_I am." He breathed right back. "No matter who shares my bed, there will never be anyone in my heart but you."_

"_And no one in mine but you." Sookie squeezed him hard then, holding him impossibly closer for one last moment before breaking their embrace. _

.oO~*~Oo.

_The sea was bright and blue as they sighted land after many days of nothing but endless ocean. They'd been away for six weeks now and the men were eager to see home. Their trip this year, back to the familiar shores of Scotland, had been a great success._

_They'd taken much gold, jewelry and fine cloth from several of the seemingly endless monasteries that dotted the Scottish coast. It never failed to amuse Eric how the Scots just kept putting them there: filled to the brim with valuables, teaming with livestock, and manned by insipid creatures who couldn't defend themselves and who seemed obsessed with a God who also refused to defend them. _

_Every year the north-men came and pillaged. Yet every year the Scottish priests remained, courteously refilling their treasure houses over the winter so Eric could take it all again come next summer._

_As much as Eric had missed his children, the weeks away, focusing on nothing more than looting and fighting had been good for him. They'd cleared his head, helped him make peace with the inevitable. _

_He'd decided he would travel to Halfdan Thorpson's village in the next few weeks, to meet his prospective bride. If she were suitable Eric would do his best to explain what he expected of her and what she could expect of him. If she was still willing after she'd heard him out then he would take her to wife. _

_In the end, he'd decided if he could not have Sookie, it mattered little who filled Aude's place. He would be honest, respectful and kind, and as long as she expected no more, they would get along just fine._

_They made landfall by the middle of the day. The women, children, and older men of the village coming out to greet them as they always did. They'd lost only two men this trip, to a good fight with one of the villages near the last monastery they'd raided. Their loss would be felt, but Eric had no doubt those men were drinking and singing in Odin's hall even as he hugged his father and aunt on the shore._

"_Eric!" His father had said, clapping him on the back._

"_Father!" Eric had exclaimed right back, with genuine happiness. _

_It was another thing he'd made peace with sometime in between the sailing and the bloodshed. His father was not wrong in what he asked him to do, and Eric could not be mad at him for thinking of the future and wishing it to be as safe for his family and his people as possible. _

"_Welcome home!" His aunt exclaimed. _

_Eric was just about to return her happy greeting with a large hug when he realized there were two people missing from this welcome back. The children were all here, as were Eric's father, his Aunts and Uncles, but his mother and Sookie where nowhere to be found. _

_A sinking feeling settled in Eric's stomach as he took all this in. His mother was several years older than his father and though she'd recovered from the hardships of the winter, she was still nowhere near returned to her old self. What if she'd taken ill again while he was away?_

"_Where's mother?" Eric asked, his voice suddenly low and uncertain. _

_Eric had no doubt that if his mother where ill Sookie would have stayed behind with her, instead of coming to the beach to welcome Thorvalder home._

"_Eric…there is something you should know." His father began, sadness lacing his voice._

_Eric didn't wait to hear what it was. Instead he took off for their house without a backward glance. He knew it was foolish to think his mother would live forever. But through all his hardships, through all the sorrows that had befallen them, and all the joys they'd been blessed with she'd always been there: beautiful, wise and strong, almost larger than life. He simply had never imagined she could sicken or die._

_Bursting through the door, Eric took in the sight before him with a confusion that left him standing frozen in place. His mother and Sookie where both there, but it was not his mother who lay upon the bed sickly, sallow and near death. _

_Blinking harshly, attempting to make his eyes see something which made sense, Eric stared into the large darkened room, unaware that he was shaking his head in rejection of the scene that would not right itself._

_He was still frozen there when he saw his mother turn to him from her place in the chair beside the bed and seem to wilt a little with relief. Turning back to the figure on the bed she cooed softly._

"_There… see now Sookie, I told you he would make it back in time."_


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: **Hi, so here's the next chapter. It's very, very angsty, but I promise it's also the angst zenith for this story: the worst it will ever get. It's also probably the last flashback heavy chapter of the story. There will be a few more flashbacks, but just interspersed with the action that's going on in the present and the HEA we're working towards.**

**If anybody is also reading (was also reading) She's Not There, then you know my life is a little upside down right now. We have a few hours left in which we could find out we're being allowed to stay in Germany for 60 more days, or we could be packing it up and leaving for good within the next week.**

**I don't want to bore anyone with details, though I do want to thank everyone who sent me kind words and encouragement about our situation. I can't tell you how much it means.**

**But I wanted to let everyone know that this is the reason I may not update next week. If we move I might not be able to post again for up to another month, which I'm very sorry for.**

**I haven't ever left a story unfinished though and it won't happen with this one. **

**So I hope I'll see you all next week, but if not I promise I'll post again as soon as I possibly can.**

**Okay, enough Author's Note- angst time**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing….**

"**Who Wants to Live Forever"**

_Sookie's only response to the news he'd returned was a small whimper and Eric felt his feet unglue themselves from the floor at the sound. Moving through the room, as fast as his long legs would carry him, he came to the bed where she lay. She was so pale and tiny, shivering uncontrollably under the furs which covered her, freezing from cold even though her body was clearly burning with fever. _

_He had almost forgotten his mother was in the room at all, when he felt her hand take his own. Turning to her, Eric could see how weary she was, but also how sad. He knew without doubt what it meant, if his mother had already begun to grieve._

"_We didn't think she would last this long. She's been fighting for days now, hanging on in the hope of seeing you one final time." His mother's voice trembled as she spoke and Eric could see her holding on hard to her composure. "I will give you as much time as I can, but I don't know how long I can keep the others out." She whispered, squeezing his hand, not waiting for a reply before leaving them alone._

_When Eric heard the door shut behind him, he didn't know what he should do. He still couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. He'd come expecting to find his mother sick and possibly dying, and Sookie nursing her. He'd come filled with anxiety and hoping he wasn't too late to say goodbye to the woman who'd raised him, loved him, given him life and instead he found the woman who was his life, barely breathing._

_Why? How?_

_Sookie had been fine, more than fine, six weeks ago. _

_She'd been the picture of health and beauty as she'd walked down to the beach with the other wives bidding their husbands goodbye. The sun had all but danced in her hair and the roses were blooming in her cheeks as she'd hugged and kissed Thorvalder goodbye, and then turned to give him a hug 'for luck' as well._

_He could still feel her strong, little arms wrapped around his waist, her head resting that tiny bit too long on his chest, and the secret look she'd given him before letting go. It was those moments, those seemingly innocuous touches, which had sustained them over the years. And even as he'd hacked and slashed his way across the shores of Scotland, her touch had still been with him, the memory of her scent making the unwashed bodies of the men he cut down bearable._

_And now she was…. Eric couldn't let himself finish the thought. It could not happen. He would not let it._

"_Eric." Her voice, not much more than a whisper, cut through his anguished thoughts. _

_As he watched, Sookie lifted her arms slightly, her fever bright eyes imploring him, though she didn't have the strength to ask for what she needed._

_It didn't matter. He knew what she was asking him for and he could not have denied her even if he'd wished to. Not caring that he stunk of six weeks' worth of sweat and sea salt, or that his mud stained boots would soil the blankets, he climbed into the bed with her. Pulling her into his arms, he laid kisses in her sweaty, tangled hair and tried with all his might to keep his tears from falling._

"_My Sookie." He whispered over and over again as he held her. "My Sookie, what happened?" _

_At first, her only response was to burrow weakly into his arms and bury her face into the opening of his shirt, breathing him in as though his scent were more precious than air. But after a few moments, in which she seemed to calm and shiver less visibly, he heard her speak, the sound of her voice muffled by his chest. _

"_I'm sorry." She whispered. "I don't know." Saying only those few words seemed to exhaust her, and she struggled for breath as her head fell back against Eric's arm._

"_It doesn't matter." He comforted, peppering her forehead, cheeks, nose and finally lips with soft kisses. "Just promise me you'll get better." Eric could hear the desperation in his voice, but he didn't care. She had to get better. He needed her to fight. He could not lose her._

"_I'll try. I promise." Sookie answered. "Just hold me, please. This is the first time I've felt warm in days." He words were so soft, but they broke the dam of Eric's tears, because the truth was she was burning up in his arms._

_He was about to answer her, to tell her that he would never let her go, that he would keep her warm and safe forever, when the door burst open, the force causing it to slam into the wall behind it._

"_Take your hands off her!" Their intruder roared._

_It was Thorvalder, flanked by his father and Eric's. The two older men looked as though they'd been attempting to hold him back, or perhaps had been holding him back for some time, but had finally failed._

_The eyes of his cousin were filled with anger and hatred as he took in the scene in front of him: Eric holding his sick wife in their bed, the two of them clinging to each other. The mother of his children clutching the fabric of Eric's dirty shirt with what strength she had, instead of letting him go in shame as she aught to. _

_Disentangling himself from Sookie, even as his body screamed at him not to, Eric rose from the bed. Standing to his full height he watched Thorvalder advance on them._

"_Get away from her. She is my wife!" Thorvalder snarled at him. "You have no right to touch her. She is MINE!" _

"_No right but that it's me she wants." Eric answered back, his voice steady and strong, his stance daring Thorvalder to try to move him a single inch._

"_Get away from her now or I'll cut you down where you stand." Was his cousin's response._

_Eric readied himself as he saw Thorvalder reach for the sword still strapped to his waist. But just as his hands closed on the pommel both of them heard the sound of Sookie crying behind them._

_Neither was sure of how much she was sensible, but it mattered little. They could both clearly hear her, weeping and calling out, trying to lift her arms, and only half succeeding. The name she called out was unmistakable._

_Thorvalder's hand dropped away from his sword and his shoulders seemed to slump visibly even as his face went dark and wrathful. She was calling out for Eric, begging him to come back to her, in whispered sobs._

_With one final look Thorvalder turned and made for the door. Taking the handle he turned back, pinning Eric with a murderous look._

"_This isn't over." He said, leaving just as he'd come, with a violent slam of the door, which made the wood beams shake in the frame. _

"_Eric…Eric" Sookie continued to cry until he again laid on the bed and pulled her into his arms._

"_I'm here love." He reassured her. He knew Thorvalder meant every word he'd said, but Eric couldn't spare the emotion to care. All that mattered now was Sookie._

_The day passed on in a blur as people came and went, but stayed completely away from them. _

_Fearing Sookie's mysterious illness would spread, the children had already been taken to other homes, and the adults seemed determined to give them this time alone. It spoke volumes of what his family believed would happen. They'd always been expected to act as they were, cousins by marriage, and not what they had been, lovers who'd meant to marry. If his father, mother and the rest no longer demanded they uphold that pretense then it was certain they'd given up on her already._

_As night fell, Sookie seemed to drift further and further away, even as Eric tried everything he could to keep her from leaving. He spoke in quiet whispers of what their life would be like when she was well again. Attempting to lure her back to health by promising her the dream they'd imagined only weeks before._

_He spun preposterous fantasies in which they would take the children, all five of them, and sail to Iceland. How they would live there, happily, making a home, having more children, working the land, laughing and crying and loving until they were old enough to sit idly by and watch all their huge family surrounding them._

_At some point, as she'd worsened right in front of his eyes, it had even stopped being a lie. All she had to do was live… and duty, family and loyalty could damn themselves. He would take her away and the children too, give them the life they deserved, the life they should have had, and never waste a single second more of the fleeting time they were given on this earth staying away from her._

_It was well into the night, the blackness outside inky and impenetrable, when Eric finally gave up talking. He was certain Sookie could no longer hear him anyway and instead he simply sat beside her, clasping her hand between his own and praying to anything that might hear him to save her._

_He'd nearly fallen asleep where he sat when he suddenly sensed a presence behind him. Eric felt the hairs on the back of his neck and arms rise as his body began to tingle. Had his prayers been answered? Or was it death come to take her? Not knowing Eric prepared to fight. If it were death he would have to take them both! Rising, he reached for his sword at the same time. He'd almost gotten it when he felt a large, warm hand cover his own and a feeling of peace and well-being wash over him._

_Looking up Eric came face to face with a man he'd never seen before. The man was tall, Eric's height or just nearly, with long white-blond hair, the front pulled back into a ponytail and the rest left to cascade down his back almost to his waist. His eyes, dark blue and hypnotic, seemed to look through Eric, and his generous mouth was set in a deep frown._

_Eric would have called him the most beautiful man he'd ever seen, except when he looked again, his eyes were drawn to the stranger's ears, which were clearly displayed by his hairstyle. Instead of being rounded, they were large and delicately pointed, and Eric realized the being before him was no man at all._

"_Who are you?" Eric asked, awe in his voice._

_The being merely looked past him to Sookie's unconscious form, huddled under the furs._

"_I am her kin." He answered._

_Eric couldn't help the look of disbelief that painted his face. He knew Sookie's kin, all of them, and even if he did not, he knew that this 'man' was not Human and therefore could not be family to the woman he loved._

"_That is not possible." Eric stated bluntly, pulling his hand out of the stranger's grasp. _

"_Do you think, simply because you do not know a thing, it is impossible?" He shot back._

_Eric knew there were many things in this world he did not understand, but how could this be one of them? _

"_What are you?" He asked instead of arguing._

"_That isn't important. What is, is that I have come to help her." The stranger stared at him, his face calm, but an air of challenge lighting his eyes. He clearly expected to have to fight Eric to get any closer to Sookie, and seemed to find the possibility…amusing in some way. _

_Part of him thought he should try to fight the mysterious being who'd simply appeared in their home, but no matter how much he wanted to protect Sookie, two things were clear to Eric. The first was that he would probably have very little chance of defeating a being who could appear, and more than likely disappear, at will. The second was that, if no one did anything, Sookie would die before the sun rose anyway. _

_There was nothing this being could do to hurt her anymore… if that was his intent. If he really had come in answer to Eric's silent pleas, and could help her, Eric would not stand in his way._

_The stranger waited patiently for him to think through all of this, and after a moment's pause, Eric stepped aside willingly, allowing him to sit on the bed beside Sookie._

_Placing his hand on her heart, the stranger closed his eyes. Eric watched in amazement as the man's hand began to glow, becoming brighter until it rivaled the candle which stood on the small table by Sookie's bed._

_The brightness of the light lasted for only a moment though before their visitor pulled his hand away and it went out, leaving his appendage looking as normal as any other persons. Sighing, the man shook his head._

"_I am too late." He said, his voice forlorn. _

_At his words, Eric's found himself stepping closer once more. He could not believe this being was unable to help his love. He was clearly something not of this world, a God of some sort. Surely one with such power could overcome something as Human as illness. _

"_There must be something you can do!" He pleaded. "Please, I will give you anything… Anything I have. She cannot die."_

_A sad smile broke across the man's face then._

"_I did not recognize you at first." He said, looking up at Eric. "But you are the boy…the boy who was always with her, aren't you? Yet you are not her husband. I was here on her wedding day. I was surprised when I saw the man she married. But then you Humans have so many customs I don't fully understand."_

"_We were to marry." Eric explained, looking down on Sookie's sleeping form. "But… fate intervened. She is my cousin's wife instead." _

"_And yet it is you by her side in her final hours." _

"_We could not marry, but I have never stopped loving her, nor she me. She is my life. I cannot watch her die. I will do anything." _

"_I'm sorry. If I'd been able to come sooner, there might have been hope. But her body has been too ravaged by this illness." The man shook his head once more as he looked at Sookie. For a moment he seemed to be lost in thought or perhaps simply in grief, but then he seemed sit up a bit straighter. "There is nothing I can do to save her human body, but perhaps all is not lost."_

"_What do you mean?" Eric felt the hope lighting in him._

"_You understand I am not Human?" The man asked._

_Eric only nodded his head._

"_Neither is Sookie, not completely. She is my daughter." When Eric would have interrupted him, the stranger held up his hand. "I know you do not understand, but it is true." _

_Eric closed his mouth then, letting the words he would have spoken die before ever being said. He had seen already this man was no mere mortal, and he knew the Gods often disguised themselves when they walked about in the Human world. He had no right to doubt this powerful being._

"_I believe you." Was all Eric finally said._

"_Then you understand she is not entirely Human either." He continued gesturing to the still figure on the bed._

_Eric nodded again. _

_He would have been astonished, but in truth he'd always thought Sookie something too special for this world. She had always been lit from within by a light so beautiful he wondered that so few other people seemed to see it. He always had though, from the very first day she'd shone it down on him, when she was very little, and he'd been in love her from that day on. So it was no shock to hear it finally said aloud._

"_I cannot save her body, but I can take the part of her which is not Human and with much magic I may be able to make her live again." _

_Eric didn't know what to say. He knew the Gods were powerful, but to see and hear such things said so simply…. He would give anything to know Sookie's end would not happen on this night in this house. But if this being, who claimed to be her father, took her now, would he ever see her again? If she were…reborn somehow, he would be an old man before she was even a young woman again._

_Eric's heart broke at the truth that they would still never be together._

"_Please, I beg you." Eric began. "If you have this power, then take me as well, please!" _

_The stranger looked at him then with naked pity in his eyes._

"_I cannot do that. You are just a man. There is nothing for me to take from you."_

_A part of him had known it could never be that simple. Nothing between him and Sookie had ever been easy and yet, Eric couldn't help the tears that started to fall from his eyes. He tried to comfort himself knowing Sookie would live, somehow, in some way. And yet, the thought he would be without her, that he would never even know if she made her way back into this world, it broke something inside of him. _

"_Please, there must be some way. There must be something you can do…." Eric trailed off, even as he felt himself falling to his knees in front of the being before him._

"_There is only one creature I know of which a Human can become that would allow him to live indefinitely and I promise you, you would not wish to be such a thing." The stranger voice was filled with a kind of condescending confidence that turned Eric's tears of sorrow into angry rage._

"_Do not presume to tell me what I wish or do not wish!" Eric snarled back, completely uncaring of the consequences of his actions. _

_He knew it was beyond foolish to anger a God. Mortal men had died for less. But if Sookie left this world tonight, and left him behind, then he had nothing to live for anyway. Better to die by the hand of a being such as this than to wither away from grief like a weak, pathetic creature._

"_I have already told you I would do anything! Do you doubt my word? Can you not see I speak the truth?" _

"_I can see you are consumed with grief and made irrational by it. Can you honestly tell me you would give up your life, your children, your family? Would you give up the very fiber of your being to become a creature of cruelty and violence, ruled by unnatural lusts and led by little more than instinct? Would you condemn yourself to a life of darkness and death, for the mere hope of one day seeing her again?"_

_Standing to his full height then, Eric looked around his home. His life, his family, his village, they had been almost his entire world from the day he was born. He had been taught from childhood they were the most important things in anyone's life. A man was nothing without his family, without his people. He had sacrificed so much for them. He'd given Sookie up for them once before. _

_And yet now…now when he was faced with the knowledge they would forever be parted…. Even his children, who had been the anchor that had held him to this life for so many years, seemed to fall away in face of the truth of what his life would be without her._

"_Yes." He answered, staring the visitor directly in his mesmerizing blue eyes. "I would give anything or everything, to be with her again. HELP ME!" _

_The look of quiet astonishment that crossed the 'man's' face then was palpable._

"_Very well." He said solemnly. "I will help you. But I promise you, one day you will look back on this night and rue your words." _

_With that the stranger rose from the bed and turned to face Sookie once more. Bending down he laid his lips gently on Sookie's. For a moment the room seemed filled with bright white light, and then he was gone._

_Eric stood, shaken for a moment, wondering if it hadn't all been some sort of sleep deprived dream, but when he looked over at Sookie he saw the shallow rise and fall of her chest had stopped. _

_She was dead._

_Walking back over to the bed and going down on one knee, he took her suddenly cold hand and held it between his own. Raising it to his lips, Eric kissed Sookie's palm and fingers over and over again, repeating the words he'd spoken to her that night in the woods, when they'd made love to each other for the first and only time. It had been a promise then, it was a vow now._

"_I will love you forever, Sookie, through this life and beyond to the next. Nothing will change that, not even death."…_

Tears streamed down Sookie's cheeks as Eric fell silent.

"He lied to you! You became a Vampire because he promised I would live again and then he purposely kept me from living, hoping you would die!" She'd asked how it had ended for them, but she never could have imagined this.

"Shh love, don't cry…_please_ don't cry!" Eric pleaded, looking at her with a desperation she somehow knew had nothing to do with the years of anguish he'd suffered, but was all about his terror of weeping women.

Sookie couldn't help the little laugh that escaped through her tears.

"For the life of me I'll never understand how it is, with everything you've lived through, you can act as though a few simple tears are like kryptonite."

"They're not just any tears, lover, they're your tears. It's your tears I cannot bear, your tears I would do anything to prevent. And as you've just heard, there is little I wouldn't do for you." His words only seemed to make her cry harder.

"Oh Eric…" She trailed off, holding him impossibly closer and trying to calm herself, for his sake if for nothing else.

"Was Fintan right?" She asked after a long moment. "Did you come to regret your decision?" She remembered his words earlier in the night, about facing century after century alone, always hoping… only to end up always disappointed.

"No, I didn't." Eric answered without even having to think about it. "Fintan was right, I could not have known what it was I was asking for that night and the Maker he sent to me was…not a kind one. In the beginning it_ was_ difficult, but the hope of seeing you again was the light which led me through my first centuries.

And once I was released from my Maker I found I greatly enjoyed my existence. As a Human I loved to fight, to travel to new places and see new things. A Vampire's existence, before the Great Revelation, was all about fighting and moving. I seem to have been uniquely suited to this life and, despite the ache of missing you, I have never regretted my decision, especially not now when all my patience has finally been rewarded!" Eric said the last with a look of genuine joy on his face and seeing it made Sookie's heart skip a beat.

She wanted to know about his Maker, about the things he'd lived through to make it to this moment with her, but she also knew dawn was approaching quickly. Not surprisingly Eric had sensed it too.

"It's almost time for me to leave." He said after a moment, sadness lacing his voice.

"Will I see you tonight?" Sookie asked, holding him a little closer, not wanting to let Eric go though she knew she had to.

"I could not stay away even if I wanted to!" Eric said, taking her lips with his own.

There kiss was soft and sweet, filled with promise.

"Good." She said, nodding her head, when they pulled apart. "There's still so much more I want to know, but I think tonight it's my turn. I think it's time I told you everything about what happened while you stayed here…and a few other things too."

"I look forward to it lover." He answered her, before pulling her into another kiss, this one a great deal more purposeful then the last.

"I thought you had to go?" Sookie asked a little breathlessly, when Eric's lips wandered from hers to begin drawing patterns on her collar bones.

"I do." Eric said, letting his hands explore her body once more even as he shifted to move over her once again. "But there should be just enough time."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: **Hey all, we're staying! At least for a few more months, so I owe you guys a chapter this week. Thank you all so much for your kind words of support! We got our extension literally at the 11****th**** hour, 11:15 at night! **

**Thank you, again, to everyone who's been sticking with this story! It means the world to me, and to my Beta-liciou beta **Northman Maille**, who I would be a mess without!**

**LOL, so I had to name this chapter pt. 1 cause I'm running out of song lyrics to use.**

Disclaimer:** I own nothing….**

"**Forever is all Today (pt. 1)"**

The sun broke cheerfully through the curtains of Sookie's window the next morning. Unable to fight the bright light she opened her eyes and smiled.

There were no words adequate enough to describe the depths of her happiness this morning.

Eric loved her!

It made her heart do summersaults in her chest and brought grateful tears to her eyes just to think about it. Snorting slightly, Sookie thought about how offensive she would have found the idea of being 'grateful' to Eric for feeling anything for her, even just a few days ago. But she knew wherever he was this morning, he was feeling the same.

It was okay for her to be grateful for Eric's love, because he was just as grateful for hers.

The only thing that saddened her was how long they'd had to wait to get to this moment.

She supposed the almost two years she'd known Eric was less than the blink of an eye considering how long he'd waited for her, but it upset her nonetheless. It upset her because after so long, she'd made him wait even longer. But it also upset her because, to her mortal self, two years meant a lot, and she could see all the days and nights she'd spent on Bill and Quinn for what they were now… wasted time she could never get back, distractions from the happiness she should have been enjoying with Eric.

It would have been easy to blame any number of people for that: Eric for not telling her sooner. Herself for not seeing the love that was right in front of her face all along. Bill for trying to poison her mind against Eric and for hurting and betraying her so badly she'd almost come to believe no one could love her for herself. She could even blame Quinn for just plain frittering away her time, when he wasn't even around to begin with.

But a part of her wondered if maybe the time they'd taken to find each other again wasn't in some way necessary. If all those things didn't need to happen (with the exception of Bill's violence against her) for both of them to make their relationship about more than the echo of a life lived a millennium ago.

As it stood now, she knew Eric truly loved her for her, not just for the person she'd been when they were both Human. She knew this because…well, she'd been fairly awful to him many, many times and yet he was still here. He claimed he could live without her love, and she believed him, but he still chose to be near her, to love her, care for her, and protect her even though he didn't have to.

And even though her dreams were as sweet as they were bitter, she knew all they'd really done was prove the Eric who'd stayed with her was real. Dream Sookie loved dream Eric, and while it was true, knowing what they shared a thousand years ago made loving him now all the more special, the fact remained: when she woke it wasn't dream Eric that she longed for.

Dream Eric had merely been a guide, showing her the cold, emotionless façade Eric wore for the world was just that…a façade and nothing more. It was the armor he'd donned in order to survive the endless centuries of loneliness and hardship to find her again. Realizing that had freed her to love the man she'd fallen for in this very house once more.

So maybe, maybe, it hadn't been wasted time after all. Maybe it had been just enough time for them both to realize they were exactly what the other wanted, in the here and now as much as in the past that once was.

With a confidence Sookie had never felt before (a wonderful match to the happiness she was experiencing, which also had no previous parallel in her life), she grabbed her cell phone from her nightstand. There was one thing standing in the way of her and Eric belonging completely to each other and even though she hated doing something like this over the phone, it had to be done and done now.

She'd told Eric she was his last night, and she'd been speaking the absolute truth, but as things stood she had no idea if Quinn still believed they were a couple. Given his complete silence over the last month it wouldn't have been outlandish to assume he'd ditched her and she was free. But the fact remained, she'd never been the kind of girl to go with two guys at once, or to let two different men even think she was going with each of them. She'd always been a 'one man' woman and it was important to her peace of mind to know she wasn't playing games with anyone.

Sookie's sense of integrity was still intact, since she felt like there was simply no way she could have ever foreseen the events that took place last night, and no way she could have stood back, unaffected by them. Fate, destiny, and a healthy dose of the kind of romance most women only dream about had all conspired to make last night happen. But Sookie didn't feel like she could see Eric tonight, hold him, kiss him, make love to him and revel in the love he gave her in return with a clear conscience if she didn't set things to rights with Quinn first.

Sitting up, Sookie dialed Quinn's number and waited impatiently.

Four rings later, his voicemail picked up, as it had every time she'd tried to contact him for the last month. Sighing into the phone she realized there was probably no point in leaving a message asking him to call her back. She'd already left over a dozen like that and it had gotten her nowhere. It might be callous to break up over voicemail, but Quinn was leaving her very little in the way of options these days.

"Quinn it's Sookie." She started. "Listen, I'm pretty sure you know I've been trying to reach you for a while now, and I don't know why you're not returning my calls, but since I'm doubting you'd call me back if I asked, there's something I have to tell you and well…it's gonna have to be like this.

Quinn, I'm breaking up with you. I'm not going to say more over voicemail though. If you care why you can contact me and I'll be happy to give you an explanation, if not that's just fine too. But, just so we're clear, my decisions made and it's not changing. I'm sorry to do this over the phone, but like I said, you haven't been returning my calls, so I really didn't have any other choice.

Despite what I just said, I do hope you're alright and again, I'm sorry to have to do this over the phone. I wish you the best Quinn, I really do."

Hanging up, Sookie was surprised to find what she mostly felt was a sense of relief. She'd been emotionally distancing herself from Quinn for a while now, definitely since she'd returned to Bon Temps… but even before that. Her first thought, as always these days, was to blame the bond, but after last night she felt like her perspective on that particular subject had changed.

She still had so many questions about it she needed to ask Eric, but she wasn't ready to make it the scapegoat in her life any more. No if she were completely honest with herself, she'd been moving away from Quinn since the day of the bombing.

Even though he'd very much been her boyfriend then, and even though he'd murdered Andre for her, when the world had begun exploding there was only one person she'd been desperate to get to. There'd been only one person she had to SEE was safe before she could concentrate on anything else. That person hadn't been Quinn and that compulsion hadn't had a lick to do with the bond.

For so long now, even when her head rebelled, Eric had been the one filling her heart.

And she'd willfully blinded herself to it.

Sighing Sookie shelved what could have been another round of recrimination and regret. Gran had been a stickler about wallowing.

"_God didn't give us life just to watch us waste our days regretting the mistakes we've made."_ She'd always say. _"Acknowledge the mistake. Figure out why you'd made it so you don't make it again. Ask forgiveness for it, if necessary, and then move past it and live your life!"_

Sookie could almost hear Adele's voice in her head right then, and she knew her Gran had been wise even beyond her considerable years. Taking a deep, cleansing breath Sookie tried to do just as Gran would have wanted. She and Eric had talked about their mistakes last night. They knew why they'd happened, and they'd asked and received forgiveness from each other. It was time to leave the past behind her and look forward to her future.

Her future with Eric!

…Or her more immediate one with a hung over yet somehow still obnoxiously chipper Amelia!

"Hey roomy!" Amelia smiled over the disgusting concoction Sookie had come to recognize as her witchy friend's special hangover brew.

"Hey yourself, you look like you had a hard night." Sookie said, loading the coffee maker as she watched Amelia down the last of her 'drink'.

"Nuh-uh." Amelia responded, smirking conspiratorially. "My night was definitely not hard, it was all soft and smooth and sweet." There was no missing Amelia's meaning, since she was many things, none of which were subtle. "How bout you? I was under the impression my soft night had the specific purpose of making sure yours was hard… very, very hard and really long!"

"Amelia!" Sookie gasped, even as she secretly smirked while turning around to pour her coffee.

Sookie wouldn't admit it out loud, since it would open up a whole slew of topics she didn't want to discuss with anyone, not even her best friend, but she was relieved Pam had been honest with Amelia about why she'd invited her out. Otherwise it might have resembled her situation with Bill a little too closely for comfort.

"Oh common Sookie, we're all grown-ups here." Amelia huffed disappointedly when her appeal to reason seemed to fall on deaf ears. "Will you at least tell me if you talked to Eric about your dreams and stuff?"

Turning back around with her coffee, Sookie couldn't help breaking into a blissful smile. She wasn't ready to share her revelations with anyone yet…they just seemed to deeply private and special to be passed around like gossip. But she knew she'd told Amelia a lot and, given how supportive she'd been, her friend deserved some answers.

"We did talk about my dreams, and about us, and about our feelings and…well, it was wonderful. Eric spent the night and left just before dawn." Sookie said, hoping a general gloss of most of the major points would be enough.

Amelia's face broke into a wide grin at her words, and Sookie could hear in her head she was really, really happy about how it all turned out. Perceptive as Amelia was, she seemed to understand something bigger than sex had happened last night and that Sookie probably wasn't going to blurt it out. She was surprisingly okay with it. Sookie had to stifle a laugh though when she heard Amelia sigh internally over how sad it was Christians where such a repressed, puritanical lot in general.

"Good." Amelia pronounced with a nod of her head. "And I take it he'll be spending more time here now?"

"He's coming back tonight and I'd say he's probably going to be something of a permanent fixture around here." Sookie couldn't help it when her smile got wider. If she weren't used to grinning like a fool already, her cheeks might have started to hurt from the strain.

"And Quinn?"

"Already taken care of. Well as much as it can be. I left a message on his voicemail."

"Ouch! That's cold Sookie, that's really, really cold." Amelia pretended to look shocked even though she was already laughing by the time she was half way through her sentence.

"Well, it's not like he's been here for me to have a sit down with." Sookie shot back anyway, worried a voicemail kiss off was probably about as unfeeling as a person could get. Quinn might have been ignoring her, but Gran taught her better than to treat people like that, even when they were being badly behaved themselves.

"Oh honey I've done much worse to men and not just when I've broken up with them. Ask Bob if you don't believe me!" Both women broke out into giggles as their 'cat' took that particular moment to make his morning appearance in the kitchen.

"Well I wish I could but…" Sookie was still laughing as she pointed to him.

Just then there was a knock at the door and Amelia jumped up.

"You just might be able to soon." She said running for the door.

Sookie followed after and when Amelia opened the front door there was a small, elderly African-American woman standing on the other side.

"Octavia!" Amelia said, flinging the screen door open and giving the woman, who Sookie now knew to be her magic mentor, a hug.

"Hello Child." Octavia said back, her gestures more restrained as she returned Amelia's bear hug with a gentle pat on the back.

"Please come in!" Amelia said, finally releasing her. When the elder witch had finally entered the house, Amelia turned to Sookie. "Oh my manners…Octavia Fant this is my roommate Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie this is my mentor Octavia Fant." Sookie offered her hand to the older woman, proud so much time around Vampires hadn't robbed her of her manners either, and then went to get her guest and Amelia something to drink.

Once Amelia and Octavia where settled, Sookie excused herself to get ready for work.

.oO~*~Oo.

Merlotte's was buzzing with the normal Saturday afternoon lunch crowd when Sookie arrived for her swing shift and quickly fell into her normal routine. It would have been just any typical Saturday, except she could practically feel the tension radiating off Sam, like heat lines over hot pavement, the second she'd gotten close enough for him to smell.

She knew he could probably sense Eric all over her and from his thoughts: angrier, redder, and snarlier than usual, she had no doubt how he felt about that. Thankfully he was at least verbally silent though. She and Sam had been friends for a long time and she'd be the first to admit she'd often held her peace with him when he went off on one of his anti-vampire, or more lately anti-Eric, rants.

She'd done it for the sake of their friendship, since Sam had, despite his prejudices, always been a loyal friend, and she knew she didn't have so many she could afford to lose one, but if he chose to start now she wouldn't stand for it again.

She'd defended Bill ferociously when they'd been together and all she'd really had with him was eight months of lies and manipulation. How could she do less for Eric when what they had defied her ability to express? Even years of friendship with Sam couldn't compete with the centuries of love she now knew she shared with Eric. And she wasn't going to let Sam, or anyone else, ever speak badly of him in her presence again.

Sookie snorted internally when she turned from behind the bar, a half hour after sunset, to see the doors open, revealing the very last person she wanted to deal with after a long day of waiting tables and blocking her increasingly jealous and angry boss's thoughts. She supposed it was what she got for speaking, or in this case just thinking, of the devil.

Bill inclined his head a little to her, completely ignoring the way Sam stiffened to her right, before taking a seat at a booth in her section. Before she could pick up a tray and get back out on the floor, Sookie heard Sam growl angrily beside her.

"Eric last night, Bill tonight. Is there something you want to tell me Sookie?"

It took everything she had not to crack the tray over his head as she turned to her 'friend' and pinned him with the iciest glare she'd ever given anyone.

"I think 'mind your own gosh dang business' about sums it up, Sam." Breezing past him without a backwards glance, Sookie made her way over to Bill's booth.

"Hey Bill," she said, giving him her standard, obligatory, 'crazy Sookie' smile. "What can I get for you tonight?"

"The usual Darlin' thank you." Bill answered, though his voice sounded a bit more strained than she would have expected, even with the family of five eating burgers and munching on chili fries and fried pickles behind him.

"You alright Bill?" You seem a little…off tonight." Sookie felt a little spike of anxiety when Bill did nothing to refute her suggestion, and instead just smiled tightly.

"I'm feeling a little stressed that's all. I had a voicemail waiting for me when I rose tonight. Eric specifically instructed me to come out here and keep an eye on you while he took care of a few things at Fangtasia. He wasn't any more forthcoming than that, but he sounded…concerned. It's not usually a good thing when one's Sheriff sounds concerned."

Sookie wasn't sure how to take any of what Bill had just told her. Normally she wouldn't like the idea of Eric sending anyone out to 'keep an eye on her' when she was perfectly safe surrounded by her boss and an entire bar full of people, but the fact Eric had sent Bill gave her pause.

Bubba, sure.

Pam, of course.

But Bill?

If Eric was sending Bill something must be truly worrying him.

"Okay, well it's pretty quiet around here, so try to just relax and I'll bring you a bottle of A neg."

Walking back towards the bar, to warm up Bill's blood, Sookie tried to tap into her bond with Eric only to find it blank. She could sense his life force humming away at the back of her mind, but other than that she had no idea how he was feeling. It set the butterflies swarming in her stomach. She hadn't had any idea he could… turn off their connection and she had no idea why he would. For the first time since they'd entered into this strange state of being, Sookie felt rankled because she _couldn't_ feel what Eric was feeling.

She'd almost worked herself into a tizzy by the time the microwave dinged, when the sound made her realize she was overlooking a very simple way to ease her nerves. Dropping Bill's blood off with a nod, she ducked into Sam's office and pulled her purse out of his desk drawer. Sookie had only to unlock her keypad to find out Eric had already rendered the need to call moot.

She had a voicemail of her own waiting, one she'd missed since she'd been working since well before sunset.

"Lover," his deep, warm voice came over the receiver, making her insides a little melty. "I'm sending Bill to Merlotte's as soon as he rises. Please stay close to him and if for some reason you leave before I get there, don't leave without him.

I know he's not currently on your favorite persons list, but I asked Pam to look into your _errant wedding guest _," he emphasized the last words as though he didn't want to actually say Jonathan's name, "after she returned from her date last night and no one seems to know him or remember him making an appearance here. Given everything that's happening I felt it best you not be left alone. I'll explain more when I see you tonight. I'll drop by Merlotte's around seven thirty, just before you get off work." With that Eric ended his message.

Sookie stood in Sam's office just staring at her phone as she felt her stomach start to sink into her feet. She'd been too preoccupied the night before, during their drive to Shreveport, to try to understand the 'other' conversation Eric had been attempting to have with her, the one that had something to do with Andre's death and the Queen's injuries, but she'd been positive Eric _had_ been having two conversations with her.

Now as she listened to his voicemail over again she began to put the pieces together.

The Queen was gravely injured.

Andre, her second, had been officially pronounced finally dead.

They had a Vampire no one had ever heard of before, who had lied about checking in with Eric, crash a wedding in bum sticks nowhere.

Eric and crew might not know about him, but he knew about them, and about her and her…significance both as an asset of Eric's and as someone who meant something to him personally.

Sookie hadn't been down the rabbit hole of twisty Vampire politics for all that long, but she'd certainly dealt with just enough of it to see how it might look like someone was arranging their pieces on the game board. Since Eric had sent Bill, of all people, to watch over her, she knew she wasn't the only one to have come to that conclusion.

If Sookie had been a betting woman she'd have put serious money down that Louisiana was in for another shit storm sooner rather than later.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: **Not much to say except thank you all for the wonderful comments and reviews for last chapter! And of course a HUGE, LOUD shout-out to my Beta,** Northman Maille**. Her encouragement with the chapter really made my week!**

Disclaimer: **I own nothing….**

**Forever is All Today (pt. 2)**

Taking a deep breath, Sookie slipped her cell phone into her apron pocket (deciding it was better to keep it on her than in her purse where she might miss more calls) and headed back out to the bar's main dining room.

It was just after seven in the evening by then and the majority of the Saturday dinner crowd was leaving, being replaced with the usual Saturday night drinkers. Despite the anxiety churning around in her stomach, Sookie couldn't help but snort a little when the family behind Bill motioned her for their check, and Bill's shoulders visibly slumped in relief.

She'd have to make sure she bussed their dirty plates and glasses first and _then_ stopped to ask if he wanted another blood. That way she could put her loaded tray on the table in front of him while jotting down his 'lengthy' and 'potentially confusing' order of a True Blood refill.

It might have been childish in the extreme, but if she was going to have to put up with his presence, after his behavior at the wedding, she was going to at least get a little fun out of it.

Instead of feeling amused or childish though, Sookie found herself contemplating the use of her number two pencil as a stake, when Bill grabbed her wrist just as she was picking her tray back up. Before she could breathe to start on an indignant rant, he took a long inhale of her scent.

"What do you want Bill?" Sookie asked through clenched teeth as she hastily righted herself.

"I want to know why Eric sent me here to keep an eye on you and why he sounded as close to unnerved as I've ever heard him. But most of all I want to know why you positively wreak of him, Sookie."

Under different circumstances, Sookie might have found it in herself to reprimand Bill more politely given that, unlike her boss, he hadn't gone as far as insinuating anything nasty. But whether it was hearing Sam's, frankly disgusting, thoughts all day, the truth she was herself unnerved by the details she'd put together in Sam's office, _or_ the mere fact Bill had decided to manhandle her while prying into things that weren't his business, his question managed to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Without a single bit of hesitation Sookie wrenched her wrist back with enough force to break Bill's hold and, while he stared at her in astonishment, picked up the half eaten basket of chili-cheese fries from her tray and dumped it over his head. Leaning down just a little, to better watch the chili drip all over Bill's shocked face, and the cheese start to congeal in his hair, Sookie hissed an answer for him.

"You'll have to ask Eric why he ordered you here and what's got him spooked Bill, I don't read Vampire minds. As to the last question…despite your best efforts to keep me in the dark about Vampire politics and culture, I've learned enough since I met you to know you don't touch what belongs to another Vampire. As you're clearly intent on being obtuse, I'll spell it out for you."

Sookie paused for a moment to turn her head and make sure Sam's attention was on them too. When she found her boss watching them like a hawk, from his place behind the bar, she nodded.

"Glad you're eavesdropping Sam, it means I won't have to repeat myself. I smell like Eric because I AM ERIC's. If either of you have any questions, comments or complaints about it, you can choke on them. Sookie Stackhouse is NOT a democracy!"

"That's a shame Lover, I was so hoping for a Cabinet position…Secretary of the _Interior _maybe.

She'd been so caught up in her anger at Bill and Sam and their obnoxious behavior she hadn't even realized Eric had reopened their bond, or that he was getting closer. Seeing him now, standing just inside the doorway, looking as beautiful as ever, in a pair of sinfully tight, black jeans and a black Fangtasia T-shirt, she decided there was only one thing to do. When Eric teased her about it later, which she was sure he would, she could always blame the Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum of unwarranted possessiveness for her behavior.

Dropping her tray of dirty dishes and glasses back on the table in front of Bill, Sookie weaved her way determinedly through the crowded dining room. With their bond reopened, she had no doubt Eric had already guessed what she intended to do. From the lust and possessiveness that were all but clouding her vision, and the fact he was now walking as determinedly towards her as she was towards him, she knew he was happy about it too.

Meeting in the middle, with three inches still between their bodies, Sookie flung herself at Eric, throwing her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist while he used his own arms to help lift her up. With their foreheads now level and pressed together, Eric smiled at her almost beatifically. The angelic curve of his mouth spoiled only by the devilish twinkle in his eyes.

"I thought public displays of affection where a Southern belle no-no." He teased, bringing his lips down over hers before she could give any kind of answer.

At another time, when more brain cells were firing, Sookie might have wondered what was responsible for the sudden quiet in her head. But as it was she was fairly certain the unexpected silence was because Eric's lips had short circuited her brain, telepathy and all.

When he finally broke their kiss, a full minute later, to let her breath, and put her gently back down on the ground, Sookie could only blush straight to scarlet. Eric hadn't just short circuited her brain, it seemed their enthusiastic greeting had pretty much shocked the entirety of Merlotte's customers into both mental and literal silence.

"Oh come on!" Sookie tried to laugh, sure she was still as red as a beet. "Like y'all never saw a girl kiss her boyfriend hello before." That seemed to start everyone's engines again and Sookie had to slam her shields up not to hear the barrage of thoughts, all centered on Eric and her, before they mowed her over like a bulldozer.

When Eric's arm came around her waist and pulled her close, gluing her to his side, Sookie spared a moment to look up at him and smile. It nearly made her melt to see him returning her expression so openly. If she wasn't one for public displays of affection then he wasn't one for open displays of adoration, but that was the only acceptable word to describe the way he was beaming down at her.

"There were some questions about the nature of our relationship." She whispered as Eric started to steer her towards Bill's booth. "I thought I'd let you know how much I missed you today and put an end to all that at the same time."

Eric's first response was a hearty laugh.

"How efficient of you, Lover. Let it never be said I'm not a fan of your ability to multi-task." They'd reached Bill by then and Eric let her go to slide into the seat across from him.

"I assume we're clear now on who Sookie belongs to and whether or not she does so willingly?" Eric said without preamble as he looked disdainfully at Bill, still covered in chili and cheese sauce.

Bill looked between Eric sitting across from him and Sookie standing at the head of their table, before nodding with as much dignity he could muster.

"Yes we're clear." He answered and then began to cough and sputter as a little bit of chili sauce and a few pieces of chop meat fell into his open mouth.

"Excellent. I have one more assignment for you tonight. The unknown Vampire, Jonathan, who attended the wedding you went to, do you remember seeing him?" Bill gave a questioning look and wisely picked up a napkin to wipe his face off before answering.

"In passing, yes."

"I need you to consult your database and see if you can find out anything about him. He claimed to be visiting the area for the wedding and told Sookie he had checked in with me at Fangtasia. The latter is untrue and I believe we'll find the former to be just the same. I want to know everything you can find on him, and I want the information before sunrise. I'll be at Sookie's."

"Yes of course, I'll go now." Bill said, seeming relieved to have been dismissed and rising from the table.

Sookie had just stepped out of the way to make room for him when Eric called him back.

"And Bill."

"Yes Eric." Bill answered again quite meekly.

"Make sure you shower before you bring me what you find. You smell like a Taco Bell dumpster."

Sookie couldn't help but laugh as Bill all but turned green and dry heaved before turning around and breezing out of Merlotte's faster than anyone but Eric could track.

"It's seven thirty now. I'll cash out and get my purse and then we can get on our way." Sookie said, still smirking as she dropped a quick kiss on Eric's lips and left to finish up and hand her section over to Holly.

When Sookie came out again she found Eric sitting at the bar, having what looked like a quiet but frank discussion with a scowling Sam. She didn't have to hear them to know Eric was more than likely putting Sam in his place, and she was happy for it. Sam didn't have to like that she'd chosen Eric, but if he wanted to stay her friend he'd respect it.

She'd told him where she stood and now Eric had as well. If he made an issue of it again, which she hoped he wouldn't, Sookie knew it might be time to reevaluate their friendship.

"I'm all done." She said, putting on one of her less genuine smiles as she walked up to the bar.

Even if she couldn't feel the barely restrained anger coming off Eric, the tension between the two men was still thick enough to cut with a knife at two hundred paces.

"Wonderful, Sam and I were just…settling a few things." Eric said, a rather triumphant smirk breaking across his face, even as Sam's turned darker.

"Oh good, then we can get home. Goodnight Sam. I'll see you tomorrow evening."

.oO~*~Oo.

They'd only just pulled out of Merlotte's parking lot, Sookie behind the wheel, when her anxiety got the better of her.

"You blocked off our bond tonight, didn't you?" She asked, keeping her eyes on the road.

"I did." He answered succinctly. "I was feeling…uneasy and didn't want it to negatively impact your evening."

"Why? I was worried for you."

"I'm sorry Lover, when I received Pam's voicemail message just after rising I realized I'd been giving our mysterious visitor less attention than I should have. Truthfully, I let myself get too distracted by Niall's impending visit."

There was a note of frustration in Eric's voice which Sookie felt resonating across their connection much more strongly. It was just dawning on her that Eric's poker face was far better than anyone gave him credit for. Far from being emotionally detached, he seemed to feel everything with a startling intensity. He just managed to control it really, really well.

"You're afraid of Niall?" It was phrased as a question but Sookie knew she'd hit at least close to the mark the moment the words where out of her mouth. The sharp spike in Eric's emotions was all the proof she needed.

"Of Niall, no. I have known him for a long time and as I told you, I believe his interest in you is genuine. But my warning from last night stands. Niall has a great many enemies. People who wouldn't hesitate to harm you if they thought your suffering would wound him. Fairies may be beautiful and alluring on the surface, but underneath they are vicious, bloodthirsty, and vengeful creatures. Association with Niall comes at a price." Eric looked at her then, and his eyes where filled with an emotion she wasn't sure she could name. There was a deep sense of possession and a need to protect, but also an air that what had happened was inevitable.

"If you're worried about what could happen to me, why did you offer to introduce us at all?" Sookie kept her voice carefully neutral.

She didn't want Eric to think she was mad at him. She wasn't. She was used to her life being dangerous by now, and the chance to know more of her kin was too important to pass up. She still had to wonder though, why Eric didn't put up more of a fight, especially given his own, horrible experiences with her Fairy family.

"Niall is over a thousand years old and a Prince. Men such as he are not accustomed to taking no for an answer. He wanted to meet you, therefore he would have found a way with or without my consent.

He has already imbedded his grandchildren, Claude and Claudine, into your life. He could just as easily have sent one of them to you with an invitation. He asked me only out of courtesy since we are now bonded. I agreed because I am aware he would have made contact with you one way or the other. At least this way I was able to be there should you have needed me."

"Do you think I have a reason to be concerned?" Sookie asked as she made the turn onto Humming Bird Lane.

"No, at present I don't think there is any reason for_ us_ to be concerned about Niall." Sookie put her hand over Eric's, on his lap, and squeezed it gently. More than declarations of undying love, hearing him say so clearly that her problems and concerns were his, made her feel loved.

"But you think there's a reason to be worried about Jonathan?" She prompted getting back to their original conversation.

"I do. I think he's a scout. I think he was sent here to assess my assets and I think, given the fact he showed up at the wedding you were working, he's extremely well informed. Up until Rhodes you and I were barely on speaking terms, something almost all the Vampires in the area can attest to.

The fact that we bonded in Rhodes is not yet widely known. From what you told me, when he spoke to you, he seemed to make a special point of noting your connection to me was not purely professional. He didn't say his interest was piqued by my telepath. He said he wanted to see the woman who was so important to me. It implies a great deal more than our business agreement. He _knew_ I am personally attached to you, even though there is not an overwhelming wealth of material evidence to prove that.

The only person who would be able to attest to our attachment, before tonight, is Pam and I have never had a reason to doubt her. Even people I wouldn't trust with closely guarded information, such as the Longtooth pack, Bill, or your boss, only know we shared a relationship while I was cursed. Before tonight none of them would have had any reason to assume that relationship had recommenced, so would have no reason to believe you were worth more to me than your telepathy."

"So you're hoping he's in Bill's database and we can find out where he lives, or who his Maker is or something."

"Yes. Our situation right now is precarious. With the Queen gravely injured and, from the very little I've seen, mentally unstable, our state is vulnerable. If Andre had lived, he would have been able to take the reins until Sophie was well enough to rule again. Without a clear leader we are left with four Sheriffs who can control their areas, but who have no authority to make decisions for the collective.

It is my hope, if I can bring the Queen clear evidence we are being watched, she will name a proxy. One way or the other I'll contact her as soon as Compton tells me what he has, but I'd rather have something more concrete than a hunch to work with. I have no desire to be accused of crying wolf."

Sookie felt her stomach sinking into her feet again by the time Eric had finished his explanation.

"Eric, there's something I have to tell you." She started cautiously, pulling up behind her house and killing the engine, but not making any move to get out of the car.

Eric's only response was his typical raised eyebrow. Taking a deep breath for courage, Sookie braced herself.

"Quinn killed Andre during the bombing. We were searching for survivors and we came across Andre in the rubble. He was badly injured and just… _crazed_! He started dragging himself across the floor trying to get me. Before I could even scream, Quinn picked up a chair leg and shoved it through Andre's back." Sookie stopped there for a moment, hating herself for what she was about to say. "I didn't ask Quinn to do it, but I wasn't the least bit sorry he did...until now."

Sookie didn't know what she was expecting, though furious anger or betrayal were on the top of her list. What she got instead was Eric unbuckling his seatbelt and exiting the car so fast it looked more like streaked colors than actual movement. Before she could panic though, her own car door had been opened and Eric was kneeling down in front of her on the gravel, unbuckling her and pulling her into his arms. The only emotions she was picking up were love, comfort and resignation.

When he pulled away slightly to look at her, resting his arms on her legs which were now out of the car and on either side of him as she remained sitting in the driver's seat, there was something fierce but not frightening in his eyes.

"You're not angry with me?" Sookie managed to squeak out.

"No lover. I wish you'd told me this sooner, but I'm not angry. Andre needed to be ended. Knowing this only confirms my fear that, while he might have allowed me to take his place the night we bonded, eventually he would have come after us."

"I don't understand. Why would he do that? The Queen wanted me bound to someone loyal to her and that's what she got. Why would Andre have made an issue of it?"

Eric growled, his fangs running out just a bit.

"Because Andre was a spoiled, covetous little prick who'd been given everything he ever wanted by his Maker for almost a thousand years. The Queen wanted you bound and Andre decided he should be the one to do it. I cheated him out of something he believed was rightfully his. Had he lived, he would have waited to get his revenge in a less public setting, but he would have been intent on getting it all the same."

"Jesus Christ Shepard of Judea." Sookie whispered under her breath as her eyes started to mist over.

She refused to cry though. Andre was gone, there was no need to fear him or worry about what he might do to Eric. "If that's true then I wonder why she didn't just send him to take me right from the very beginning."

"You probably have your cousin to thank for that as well, although this time the thanks might be genuine." He answered, grimacing as he pulled back and stood up, offering Sookie his hand to help her out of the car.

"Still not understanding." She said as she locked the car behind her.

"I never noticed Hadley when she was a donor or a pet, and only met her a few times after Sophie-Anne brought her over, but the impression she made was very definite. I thought she was spoiled trash raised far above her worth. Prick though he was, Andre was never stupid. It's likely he thought the same thing and assumed you would resemble your cousin.

I wouldn't doubt Sophie-Anne offered him the opportunity to procure you first and he refused. It would have been bad enough to have Hadley as a sibling, but to be blood bound to one such as her, or eventually to have become her Maker, would have been intolerable.

It was likely his opinion didn't change until he met you after Hadley's final death, and I would bet he kicked himself. He passed up the opportunity, Compton got the job instead and botched it so badly you were unattached to any Vampire and going around with a shifter. I'm sure he decided to remedy the situation by bonding with you well before Rhodes.

As much damage as his death may do to Louisiana, had he lived he would not have stopped until he had you. Your bond to me, though sacred to my kind, would have been nothing more than an obstacle to creatively circumvent."

"You think he would have killed you?"

"He would have tried. We're nearly the same age, so we would have been matched in strength. But where his Maker coddled him and allowed him to spend the last ten centuries hiding behind my her skirts, mine was a sadistic fuck who spent nearly two centuries trying to break me to his will by whatever means possible. If my Maker could not get the better of me, Andre wouldn't have stood a chance. I would have killed him for all the good it would have done us."

Sookie felt her herself becoming dizzy as she tried to keep up with the twists and turns Eric's mind was making. Instead of asking verbally she merely shot him her own raised eyebrow.

"If Andre had killed me he would have taken you and forced you to submit to him. If I'd killed him, his Maker would have used her position to end me, uncaring of the fact Andre had tried to interfere with our bond, and taken you anyway as payment for the loss of her child. As long as Andre lived we were damned if we did and damned if we didn't. No matter what happens, we are safer with Andre gone and, though I will go to great lengths to protect my Area and my Vampires, _you _are what is most important to me."

"I love you."

"And I you, Lover."

"Do you think our lives will ever be normal?" It was probably pointless to ask, but Sookie felt like she at least needed to hear she wasn't the only one becoming bone exhausted by the constant threats to their lives.

Eric's eyes dropped from hers then and she could feel something dark churning up inside him. Something murkier and more painful than just his anxiety about their immediate futures or worries over what Andre might have done.

"Define normal." Eric asked her as she opened the door. "If you're looking for the American dream you've probably made the wrong choice, Sookie. We couldn't even manage to marry and have children when we were both Human. Now…it's utterly outside the realm of possibility."

Tossing her keys on the kitchen table, Sookie grabbed Eric's hands and pulled him over the threshold. When he was pressed up against her she wound his arms around her waist, before lifting her hands to cup his face.

"A thousand years ago, I would have given anything to live a normal life with you Eric. I don't just remember it like replaying a movie in my head, like it was something I watched happen to someone else. I remember every detail of our lives in the most vivid way, and when I wake up I have a hard time telling if I'm here or there.

I ache that we never got to have that life together, just the same as I ache when I think of all the things you've suffered to see me again. But Eric, whether you could or couldn't give me that life now, the fact is I can't give it to you either. I don't know how or why I am the way I am, but I can't, I WON'T risk passing it on. As much as I wish I could have them, as much as I envy people who do, I love my potential babies too much to pass this curse onto them. You aren't cheating me out of that life any more than I'm cheating you. It isn't for us. But we _are _for each other.

I didn't mean what I said _that_ way. I just meant…are we ever going to have peace? Are we ever gonna get a moment to slow down and just enjoy what we have, or are we always gonna be fighting, worrying, looking over our shoulders?"

Eric said nothing for a long moment as he seemed to probe their bond, testing Sookie's truthfulness. She let him, not hiding any of herself from him. When she knew he could find nothing but her honesty, she went to her tiptoes and pulled his face down for a long, slow kiss.

Their mouths slid against each other softly, lips parting to allow one another in. And when Sookie was all but breathless Eric pulled away only a little, letting her draw air, but keeping his lips close enough to feel the little puffs of her exhales.

"Say the word, Love and I'll take us away. Peace and quiet are like anything else in this world. If you want them you have to grab them with both hands. I know how much your home and your friends mean to you, but one day I want to take you to _our_ home, to show you where we lived."

"Does it still exist?" Having only known the truth for a single day, it hadn't yet dawned on Sookie that her very real dreams must have happened in a very real place, one she might be able to actually see.

"Not as it did then, but yes, it still exists. It is a great city now, but I own a home in the woods where we used to play."

Sookie hadn't realized she was crying until Eric leaned just that little bit closer and kissed a wet drop from her lips. The truth was still so surreal…beautiful, but surreal.

"If we live through this than yes, I want to see it. I want you to show it to me, it and everything else."

Eric's smile was again beatific, as their bond all but burst with happiness.

"As soon as this is over, we'll leave and we'll stay as long as you desire."

"You've got yourself a deal." Sookie whispered, laughing softly through her tears.

"I'll hold you to that." He replied kissing her nose. "But first you need a shower. You smell like a ghastly combination of jealous Shifter and a Vampire soft taco."

Sookie would have laughed at that, but somehow the mere mention of a shower…with Eric, managed to toss her anxiety, exhaustion and sadness right out the window to be replaced with one hundred percent pure lust.

"You're probably right." She said, taking his hand once more and pulling him through the house. "Would you mind scrubbing my back?"


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: **I just wanted to apologize. I didn't get to respond to every review from last chapter this time. We're still leaving the country soon and getting our stuff in order, which meant some busy days for me this week. I want you all to know how deeply I appreciate every one of them though. They are literally a ray of sunshine in my day!**

**Also, there's some German in this chapter. (The English translation is right beside it.) It didn't come from Google translate or any other translation app. It's all me, so if you speak German better than I do, there's no need to PM me to tell me how much my German sucks. I know! Just take a moment to feel really bad for my friends here who have to put up with that on a daily basis and try to shake yourself off and move past it. It probably won't happen again in this story!**

**Thanks as always to my awesome beta, **Northman Maille**, for all her help, and to everyone who continues to follow this story.**

Disclaimer:** I own nothing….**

**We Can Have Forever (pt. 1)**

Under different circumstances it might have felt disconcerting, letting a man watch her shower. But right now Sookie felt nothing but pure lust radiating through her and swirling around her like the steam from the water.

Eric had quite eagerly taken up the offer to help her, slowly removing her uniform one piece at a time. Stealing the opportunity to caress her inner thighs and brush his fingertips across the lace covering her sex as he brought her shorts down. Kissing the arches of her feet as he helped her remove her shoes and socks. Lightly tickling her ribs as he lifted her t-shirt away, and nipping teasingly at her nipples as his hands worked the front clasp of her bra.

Sookie tried to pull him into the shower with her when the water finally reached the perfect temperature. But he'd hung back, asking her to let him just watch for a moment as the water wet her skin, cascading over her breasts, pooling in her navel, and making a wet nest of the curls at the apex of her thighs.

By the time Sookie leaned back, letting the water drench her hair, she knew she was breathing hard enough for the both of them. The bond she'd hated so much only days ago, was building their mutual hunger to a fever pitch. One desire building and feeding upon the other until they were both at a point where nothing else existed: not their fearful exposure to a coup, not Eric's worries that association with Niall might put her in harm's way, not even lingering anger over Bill and Sam's behavior was enough to distract them.

"Touch yourself, Sookie." Eric's voice rasped, low and ravenous as his eyes devoured her gloriously wet, nude form.

With either of her other lovers she would have blushed hotly before awkwardly refusing. But then, even before they'd bonded, Eric had been able to get her to do things she'd never let herself so much as dream about.

Letting their bond, and the emotions ricocheting back and forth across it, give her courage, Sookie locked her gaze to Eric's and lifted her hands. Pushing her long, wet hair away from her face, she brought her hands down, running them over her neck, brushing the vein under her left ear. She knew from his sharp intake of breath Eric was watching her pulse pump, thinking about the blood running underneath. She caressed her collarbones and followed the water's path down to her nipples, which were already peaked, pinching them to even harder points, before cupping her breasts and kneading them seductively.

The snick of Eric's fangs slamming down brought a knowing smile to her lips. Emboldened, she left one hand to toy with her breasts and let the other skate down her torso, stopping only when she reached the juncture of her thighs.

The moan that filled the room could have belonged to either of them, as she extended one of her legs and let her hand wander lower. Her fingers blatantly parted her nether lips to expose her throbbing clit. Struggling to keep her eyes open, she brought her index finger to her aching bud and began to deliberately circle it.

"Fuck!" She heard Eric whisper as she dipped her finger farther down, teasing her entrance and letting her own wetness coat it before moving back to her clit to torment them both more. "Sookie," Eric's ragged voice carried to her just as her eyes closed and her head tipped back in pleasure.

There was only the slightest breeze to warn her before he was there, suddenly naked, kneeling on the shower floor in front of her. Lifting one leg to rest over his shoulder, he kissed the fingers still playing her nub before scraping his fangs along her lower lips, nipping and biting softly, and then burying his tongue deep inside her.

"Look at me Lover." He commanded harshly around her flesh, already mostly gone in his pleasure.

Sookie obeyed without thought, her eyes opening to find him there, licking and sucking her with abandon, holding her hip to keep her against him with one hand as he began to roughly stroke himself with the other.

"Eric!"

It was all she could say before the pleasure they were both bringing her overwhelmed her senses and she fell over the edge, her upper body all but collapsing against him as he held her up.

He was holding her in his arms when she came back to herself, keeping her body under the spray so she wouldn't feel chilled, as he cradled her head against his chest. Soft words of comfort fell from his lips, nestled against her ear, as his hands rubbed soothingly up and down her back.

"Are you alright?" He asked, kissing the pulse point on her neck.

"If I say I'm 'wow' again are you gonna get a big head?" She laughed drunkenly.

"Too late for that." He answered back, letting her feel the smile on face, where his lips where touching her skin.

"At least you know it's deserved." She answered, lifting her head to take his mouth with hers.

Their lips slid against each other, rebuilding the fire between them as their bodies began to rub together, slickened from the water and still needy.

"I remember this, somehow." He said softly when Sookie broke their kiss, letting her lips wander down to kiss and lick the water from his chest. He felt her arms squeeze tight around him and the question in her head was clear through her blood. "It's not a memory really, more a feeling… that I've been here, like this, with you before. That I knew nothing, but somehow I still knew this was best, that it was… _right_."

It seemed as though Eric might say more, but just then Sookie reached his nipple, swirling her tongue around the tight, pink point and biting down. Without thought, one of Eric's hands fisted itself into Sookie's hair. His grip was rough but not painful and Sookie found herself getting wet all over again at the feel of it. Looking up at him, she licked his nipple once more before going down to her knees.

Her hands cupped his hips, her fingers caressing the deep 'V' that led down to the juncture of his thighs. Eric could only watch mute, the mere sight of Sookie, kneeling before him, getting ready to suck him, stole his ability to form words.

"I love you." She said, her breath, hotter and more scorching than the water beating down on them, puffed against his hard shaft just before her mouth engulfed him.

"Ahh," He managed to get out as she began to bob her head, taking half of him in as her little hand gripped his base to pump the rest.

He could tell she was inexperienced but it hardly mattered. Her enthusiasm made up for it in spades and the look in her eyes, wanton and possessive as she pleasured him, elevated the experience far beyond any he'd ever had with another.

His memories of his time cursed were still lost in the fog of his brain, but his remembrance of their life together ten centuries ago was as sharp as if it had happened yesterday. As she worked him he knew she was remembering it to. All those times when they'd been young and carefree, sneaking to the woods to explore one another. Lying in the green grass as the sun beat down on them, kissing and touching and tasting each other with utter abandon.

They'd been barely more than children, teenagers drunk on their love for each other and the promise of a future as husband and wife. Her innocent joy in loving him was as intoxicating now as it was then and he found himself falling apart just as quickly, broken by her purity, her affection and her love, when others in his long centuries had barely been able to illicit a response.

All it took was a single nip of her teeth on his head to have him exploding in her mouth, pouring his cool seed down her throat in thick spurts. Leaving him utterly destroyed as he watched her swallow down every last drop of him.

He was still coming down when he heard her turn the water off. Without waiting for her to grab the towel hanging on the wall he picked her up, still wet and dripping, and carried her to her bed. Laying her down, Eric kissed her lips roughly, rubbing his body against hers, grinding his still hard cock into her soft depths as she parted her thighs to welcome him.

"I've waited so long for you Sookie, and still I can't believe we're here. I can't believe you're mine. I love you. I love you more than life itself." His last words were said against her lips as he took her mouth in another searing kiss, all the while pushing steadily into her body.

Sookie could only cry out Eric's name, pushing her love back to him as they began to move, working in tandem to wring the pleasure from each other. Their eyes locked as he loomed above her thrusting in the most perfect way, their hands running over each other's bodies.

The slick drops of water on her body began to dry, then morph into sweat as they drove each other higher… and when Eric dropped his head to Sookie's breast, piercing her nipple with his fangs, they both fell over one last time.

They rode the wave of their orgasms as he drew on her wound, drinking her down as she had him, until they were both left dizzy and dazed. Sookie's hand ran hypnotically through Eric's hair as he lay over her, his head on her chest, his tongue softly licking the wound on her breast, healing her and soothing her all at once.

"I wish I could remember." He whispered softly a few minutes later, still lapping at her skin.

Sookie's hands squeezed him almost reflexively, trying to hold him impossibly closer as she lay panting in the aftermath.

"I wish you could too. I wonder why our bonding didn't bring back your memories like it did mine." She whispered back. She could feel Eric shrug his shoulders even as his hands tightened on her body.

"The magic which bound your memories of our life is different than the magic that still binds mine." It was the only thing he could think of, but logical or not it did nothing to quell the disappointment he felt. "Will you tell me now?" He asked after a moment, raising his head to meet her still glazed gaze.

Sookie smiled down at him, contrition evident in her eyes.

"There isn't much more to tell really. You know we were together. You know about Debbie Pelt, which was one of my biggest fears. The only thing I really kept from you were the feelings. I was terrified you wouldn't return them. I thought you'd laugh at me, or worse yet tell me I was pathetic. It all seems so silly now that I know you've loved me all along. I'm sorry I kept it from you. It was cruel. I can't excuse it. I can only say I did it because I was protecting myself."

Eric nodded, seeming to understand. After a moment he rested his head on her chest again, snuggling into the sweet, soft valley between her breasts.

"From what, Lover?"

"From the pain when you remembered your life and left me. The night we squared off against Hallow's coven you proposed to me. You offered to marry me and leave everything behind. You told me we could live here, spend the rest of my life making love and getting to know each other, that you would give it all up for me and get a job." Sookie said, her voice betraying some of her remembered pain.

"And you didn't want that?" Eric asked, his voice taking on its own hurt tone.

Sookie squeezed him again in reassurance.

"I wanted it more than anything, but I knew the person you were when you were cursed wasn't the real you, or I should say, it wasn't the whole you. No matter how much I would have liked to say yes, I couldn't let my selfishness rob you of your rightful life. I knew if you could remember you'd be appalled at the thought of yourself living that life."

"That life…?" Eric interrupted, shifting so he was lying on his side next to her, able to see her eyes and her face as she spoke.

"Yeah, _that_ life. I couldn't imagine how humiliated you'd be if you woke up one night to find out you'd been…degrading yourself, living in my rundown farmhouse, working…I don't know, the graveyard shift at the Grab-it-Kwik to make ends meet. I couldn't do that to you, even if it meant losing you."

Whatever reaction she'd been expecting it hadn't been the snort Eric gave her or the amused smirk on his face.

"What?" She countered, shifting to her side to face him, resting her head on her hand.

"Sookie, I might have money and position now, but working the 'graveyard shift' at the Grab-it-Kwik would hardly be the most degrading or shameful thing I've done in my life to make ends meet." He paused for a moment to brush his hand down the length of her cheek and kiss her nose. "And frankly if doing so meant coming home to you every morning, having you accept me in your life happily, it might be the most joyful 'degradation' of my existence.

You are honorable and loyal to a fault to have put aside your own desires to see me returned to myself. But you must know now that the person you saw then, he is a part of me. I would still give it all up for you in a single breath. Neither of us would have to work to make ends meet though. As things stand, I have enough money not even Pam could shop it all away in less than six lifetimes. You and I could live quietly, spend our nights making love and relearning each other in peace. You have only to say the word."

"It hurt, it hurt so badly the night you woke up and didn't know what had happened between us, but I'm happy I didn't give in to my selfishness. I would never have known the truth otherwise. I would never have had the chance to know your love for me is even greater than what you felt when you were cursed. No, I don't want you to give it all up for me. But there is another promise you made me I'd be more than willing to take you up on." As Sookie said the last a mischievous smile turned up her lips.

"I'm breathless with anticipation, Lover." He joked back, happy to see and feel her solemn mood lift a little. Sookie's giggle was well worth the shame of having made such an awful pun.

"Hardy, har, har." She snorted, before leaning in to kiss his shoulder. Becoming serious again, Sookie dropped her eyes to the tiny space between them on the bed, running her fingers over the floral sheets underneath them. "A few nights after you came to stay with me, after we'd already become lovers, Hallow came into Merlotte's looking for you.

Long story short, there was a bit of a raucous over at Bill's place and the Longtooth pack got involved. One of the women was hurt. Hallow hit her with her car. I took her to the emergency room and afterwards we all met back at the bar for a powwow: You, me, the wolves, Pam and Chow and later Claudine. When everyone saw how attached we were to each other one of the wolves said something derogatory about me and you all but broke her in half.

When we got home you told me how much I meant to you and we made love…a lot." Sookie stopped to blush a little at the admission, even though she was making it naked in bed with him after having made love to him again…a lot. It was as endearing as it was alluring and Eric had to stifle the urge to pounce on her then and there and make love to her again…a lot.

"Afterwards we were lying right here and you told me when Hallow was dead and you had your memories back you would bring me to your side. That I would be yours and everyone who owed you their fealty would honor me. It was really… feudal and all, and I certainly don't expect or want you to have your Vampires bowing and scraping to me or anything, but I want to be by your side…always."

"Sookie…." Eric drew out her name, as he brought one finger under her chin to lift her face to his once more.

'Yeah," She squeaked out, glancing over at her dresser, trying to avoid eye contact.

"If you're not very careful I'll be forced to make love you again right here and now…a lot." It got the giggle he was hoping for and brought her eyes back to his.

"That's not a threat, you know." She countered, lifting his hand away from her chin and kissing his fingers, one by one.

"Good, I consider it to be a promise." He laughed softly. "As to my promise to bring you to my side: I intended to keep it, not even knowing I'd made it. You _are_ mine and your place is with me. Where we live, how we live, we can decide those things as they come, but as long as I am Sheriff all will know you have chosen me and my Vampires_ will_ give you the fealty they give me. I will have it no other way." She was in his arms, before he'd even finished speaking, tears streaming silently down her face.

"I just want you Eric. I don't care about the rest. Just promise me I have you." Her words were muffled by his skin as her face rubbed into his chest.

"I have been yours. I am yours. I will always be yours. I will love you forever, Sookie, through this life, and beyond to the next. Nothing will change that, not even death."

Sookie's breath hitched when she heard his words. The words he'd said to her the night their betrothal had been broken. The words he'd said to her when she'd died, his eternal vow.

"I love you just the same." She answered back, locking eyes with him, willing him to feel her sincerity. "God help me I do. I've never loved anyone or anything the way I love you, Eric." They were pulling each other close once more when there was a knock on the door.

Sighing, they both pulled apart, frustration and disappointment bouncing back and forth between them. Throwing on her robe, Sookie went to open her bedroom door, when she turned to see Eric following right behind her still naked.

"It's Bill." She said.

Eric simply nodded, letting her know he'd already figured that out. When he made a move to walk around her out the bedroom she grabbed his hand.

"Honey, you can't answer the door naked." She stated firmly, even as his eyes started to twinkle. She knew nothing good ever came of that twinkle.

"Why not?" He answered.

"What do you mean 'why not'?" She shot back indignantly.

"I mean 'why not'. Bill is a Vampire. If he hasn't already figured out what we were doing while he was washing congealed Velveeta out of his hair, he will the moment he takes a single sniff of either of us. I'm just being courteous and saving him the extra step."

"Eric Northman, put on your jeans!" She huffed. "I don't care how much you want to rub Bill's face in it. You aren't answering _my _door naked."

"Lover, that's hardly fair. You got to dump chili over his head. Why do you get to have fun and not me?" The whiney tone in Eric's voice would have been funny if she didn't know he was actually expecting a logical and well thought out reason for why he couldn't walk around her house and receive guests in the buff.

"Here's the deal buster, you put on pants when I have guests or I don't let you in mine anymore." Eric actually looked as though she'd kicked his puppy as he slunk to the bathroom to retrieve his jeans.

"You're no fun sometimes." He pouted as he emerged not a moment later, jeans on but neither buttoned or zipped.

Knowing she was only going to get the letter of the law, instead of the spirit, Sookie just snorted.

"But I make up for it." She laughed as they walked into the living room.

Eric stepped in front of her to open the door and let a now freshly showered and squeaky clean Bill into the house.

"Hi Bill, thanks for stopping by." Sookie felt the need to say, plastering on her 'crazy' smile when it became clear all Eric was going to do was step aside to let Bill enter, allowing the sight of them to sink in.

"Yes, Bill, lovely of you to drop by." Eric echoed, his tone bored, as he closed the door, coming to stand next to Sookie, not bothering to offer Bill a seat. "What did you find out?"

"Nothing." Bill answered short and to the point.

"Elaborate." Eric ordered.

"Not a thing. I checked the database first and he wasn't there. When I couldn't find anything on him I called some of my contacts in various places around the country, Vampires who've been helpful in assisting me with the database, they didn't know of him either. Why are you concerned about him, Eric? What's going on?" Bill's voice was cool and collected as always, but Sookie could see his hands clenching and releasing almost rhythmically as he waited for an answer.

"I believe he's a scout. I think he's checking us out, seeing what we have and assessing our strength and readiness for a possible takeover. I had hoped he might be in your database, that we might have some idea who he's scouting for, but the fact he isn't is telling in itself."

"How so?" What little color Bill had was beginning to drain from his face.

"You've been very extensive in your research. If he's managed to stay off the radar then I would say he's done so purposely. That his…line of work calls for anonymity."

"You think he's a professional, a mercenary."

Eric would have laughed at Bill's light bulb over the head moment and how long it had taken him to come to it, but he couldn't spare the energy. Taking his cell phone from his pocket, he knew he needed to concentrate on their next step rather than gloating over Bill's complete and total inferiority.

Hitting the third number on his speed dial, Eric waited through four rings.

"Sheriff Northman, Ja." It took everything within him not groan as the voice of Wybert greeted him. Sophie's lobotomized meat shields would do nothing but waste valuable time.

"Wybert, Ich musse sofort mit die Konigen sprechen. Wir haben ein krisis." (Wybert, I need to speak with the Queen immediately. We have an emergency.)

"Tut mir leid. Sie kann nicht mit dir sprechen. Sie ist… indisponiert." (I'm sorry. She can't speak with you. She's…indisposed.)

"Wybert, SOFORT oder wir sind alle tot!" (Wybert, NOW or we're all dead.)

"Tut mir leid." (I'm sorry.)

Eric stared dumbfounded at his phone. Wybert had already hung up on him.

"What did he say?" Bill asked, his hands now firmly clenched at his side.

"He said the Queen was indisposed and hung up on me." Eric hissed, still staring at his cell in disbelief. "We're on our own it would seem."

"What do we do?" Bill was clearly becoming more petrified by the moment, but admirably stepping up.

Sookie supposed his motivation had more to do with saving himself than any selfless act on behalf of Area Five or Louisiana. It might have been Eric's pragmatism rubbing off on her, but she knew, right at this moment, they'd take whatever help there was no matter what the reason.

"We contact the other Sheriffs, warn them, and then we look to securing Area Five." Eric said, his voice comfortingly commanding. Even when they hadn't been together, there was no one Sookie had ever felt safer with in a crisis.

Eric was just about to call another person on his speed dial when there was a banging on the door.

"Let me in!" A girl's voice said. "_Please_ let me in!"


	16. Chapter 16

A/N:** Hi, so here's the next chapter. **

**I went back and forth a lot on how to handle the takeover. On the one hand the itch was there to fix everything with a few pen strokes and not let Felipe and Victor get their claws into Louisiana.**

**The more I thought about it though, the more I realized I didn't see that working in the context of this story. There's a whole bunch of stuff that happens with Alcide's Were pack in the book that I just plain cut out. Which meant that, far from having weeks of advance notice that something was up, Eric and Sookie got three nights (one of which was eaten up by Niall). **

**So I guess this my way of explaining why I went ahead with the takeover almost as it happens in Canon, but also promising that the aftermath will be nothing like the book. So bear with me! **

**Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who continues to follow this story and especially review, you guys are AWESOME! And big, biG, BIG thanks to my beta **Northman Maille**, for all her help with the plot adjustments! YOU ARE THE BEST!**

Disclaimer:** I own nothing….**

**We Can Have Forever (pt. 2)**

The words were barely spoken before Eric had moved swiftly to push Sookie behind him and Bill crouched down into a defensive posture in front of both of them.

"Please let me in!" The voice said again.

Peeking out from behind Eric, Sookie grabbed his arm trying to get his attention.

"It's Frannie." Sookie whispered.

Eric turned slightly to give her a questioning eyebrow.

"Who?"

"Frannie…Quinn's sister." She clarified.

"Sookie if you're in there please let me in." Frannie repeated for a third time. "I have to tell you what happened to Quinn."

Both Sookie and Bill looked at Eric waiting for his decision. Straightening out from his own crouch he nodded his head to Bill, to open the door, but made no move to let Sookie out from behind him.

Bill reached the door in a single stride and opened it to reveal a short teenager, with dark hair and frightened eyes. Frannie didn't waste any time practically falling over the threshold, and had all but grabbed the doorknob out of Bill's hand to slam it shut and turn the lock as soon as she had her footing back.

"Frannie, please sit down." Sookie gestured to the couch and armchair, letting her Southern manners take over and pushing down her anxiety over what Frannie's sudden appearance might mean.

Frannie took a seat in the overstuffed chair across from the couch and huffed a few times as though she'd been running for hours. Once she seemed to have her breath back she looked around at the faces staring at her intently waiting for an explanation.

"It figures you'd have _Vampires _here!" She spat with distaste before settling her eyes back on Sookie. "Can I get a glass of water or something?" She asked, instead of offering anything of use.

Rushing to the kitchen, Sookie grabbed a glass and quickly filled it from the tap, before returning to see the staring contest taking place in the living room. It looked as though Eric and Bill were all but willing Frannie to speak while she sat indignantly silent. Taking the glass from Sookie without so much as a 'thank you', she drained it down in one long swallow.

"Frannie, you need to tell us why you're here now. We're kinda dealing with some important stuff." Sookie said, trying to be as calm and understanding as she could, knowing there was no point in antagonizing the girl.

"Trust me, it's nothing as important as what I was sent here to tell you. The Vegas Vamps are coming to takeover Louisiana."

"How many are there and where?" Bill interrupted her, even as Eric began scrolling through his phone again.

"If you're calling to warn your Vamp buddies you can probably forget it." Frannie said sourly, in lieu of answering Bill's question. "They've already taken out some of the Sheriffs. They sent their guys in small groups. The majority of the force is headed to Fangtasia to take out Eric."

Ignoring Frannie's comment Eric went back to his phone, pressing a number and holding it to his ear. After a few rings he gave up.

"Cleo isn't answering her phone." He growled. "Bill try to raise Arla and Gervaise."

Bill nodded, taking out his own phone as Eric went back to his hitting the first button and waiting for the call to pick up. This time it went through and Sookie could just make out the familiar female voice on the other end.

"Pam, we're under attack. Put our emergency measures in place and get to Bon Temps as quickly as possible. We're at Sookie's." He said tightly. There was a one word response on the other end and then the call disconnected.

Turning back to Frannie, Sookie tried to put the last pieces of the puzzle together.

"Frannie, how is Quinn involved in all of this? Did he send you here?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper as it became clear they weren't going to have time to prepare themselves for much more than a hastily pieced together, Alamo style, defense.

"Of course he sent me!" Frannie's reply was more of what Sookie had already seen from her, teenage rudeness mixed in with a healthy dose of oblivion to the danger she found herself in. "You're tied to Eric. No matter how much he hates it, he knows that makes you a target. They already sent someone here to take a look at you."

For all the good it would do them now, they had their answer to who Jonathan was working for.

"And why is Quinn involved with Nevada?" Sookie pressed, her frustration mounting at the feeling she was pulling teeth just to get the information Frannie seemed intent on parsing out bit by bit.

"Um, I don't know how much Quinn told you about his past, but the short version is our mom was captured and raped by a group of hunters in Colorado a bunch of years back, when Quinn was still young. Quinn tracked her down and killed all of them, but he needed help cleaning it up and hiding the murders so he went into debt to the local Vamps for their help. They're the ones who sent him to the pits.

I was born nine months later, our mom never really recovered… mentally ya know, and Quinn spent years working off that debt. A couple of years back he was able to put mom in a nice home just outside of Vegas where'd they'd be able to take care of her…special circumstances, and everything seemed like it was looking up.

Like six weeks ago she escaped and killed two people doing it. The Vegas Vamps caught up with her and managed to keep it quiet, but of course nothing comes for free…especially with Vamps." Frannie stopped to direct a dirty look at Eric and Bill as though they were personally responsible for everything bad happening to her family.

Sookie was about to ask another question when the sound of a key in the lock had everyone turning around, and Eric and Bill getting ready to fight anything that might come through the door.

"It's Amelia and Octavia." Sookie told them, saving the two witches from being drained the moment they stepped over the threshold.

"Uh… hey all, did I miss the invite to the party?" Amelia greeted as she walked in, looking for all the world like she might be getting ready to just turn right back around and leave.

"Come in and close the door. We have a situation." Eric told her, his voice hard enough Amelia didn't even think to disobey.

Turning back to Frannie, Sookie let Bill fill Amelia and Octavia in.

"Okay, so your mom got into some trouble and the Vegas Vamps cleaned it up….." Sookie repeated hoping to get Frannie back on point.

"Yeah, and of course they wanted something in return. Quinn was pretty badly injured in Rhodes so they knew they couldn't send him back to the pits again. One of them suggested taking me instead, to use as a blood whore for visiting Vamps. Well Quinn broke the jaw of the Vamp who said that. It was sweet and all, but you could see the Vamps adding dollar signs to the debt we owed them. They said if Quinn didn't want to do that then they wanted information from him."

"And he told them everything he knows about Louisiana." Sookie finished, a feeling of deep hurt twisting her gut.

On the one hand she couldn't help but feel sorry for all three of them: Frannie, Quinn, and their mom. She was sure after suggesting Frannie be taken as a blood whore, pretty much anything else would have sounded appealing.

Sookie wanted to fault Quinn, but she didn't know if she would have done differently had it been her Gran or Jason on the line. Still understanding didn't mean forgiving. He'd betrayed her. He'd betrayed her and, if Frannie had her timeline straight, he'd done it while they were still together.

"He didn't_ want_ to!" Frannie spat back vehemently in her brother's defense. "He told them Sophie-Anne was weak enough to be forced into a marriage, but the King guy was standing right there with us. He got this sour look on his face at the suggestion, like someone shoved lemons in his mouth or something, and then, in his pervy accent, he proclaimed that he 'detested cripples'." The last was said in Frannie's bad imitation of the Nevada King. "He didn't have a choice. They had him over a barrel. He had to tell them everything about Sophie-Anne, Eric, you, the whole shebang. He wanted to call you like a million times, but they were always watching him."

"Why is he here now?" Bill was the one to interrupt the story this time. "They're Vampires, they don't need his help for something like this. He's already given them what they wanted."

"Officially he's here to negotiate with the Were community. My brother's famous you know. Lots of Weres look up to him." From the pride in Frannie voice anyone would have thought she was her brother's one woman PR agency. "But he's actually here to make sure Sookie's okay." Turning from Bill, Frannie looked at Sookie with a lemon sucking expression of her own. "He loves you for some reason. He doesn't want you to get hurt."

The shrill ringing of Bill's cell interrupted Frannie's confessional this time. Looking down, Bill read the display and mouthed the word 'Arla', before picking it up.

"Yes…Good. Alright, I'll let Eric know…. Yes he's here. We're fine for the moment… Be safe. We'll contact you when it's over." Bill hung up after that and clarified for everyone. "Arla has gone to ground with as many of her Vampires as she can. They've taken heavy casualties though. She heard from Gervaise about five minutes ago, he's gone to ground as well."

Eric nodded but, before he could say anything, Frannie bolted from her chair.

"Quinn told me to stay here, but I can't. I didn't know y'all would be here. I don't want anything to do with what's gonna happen. I gave Sookie his message like he asked. Now I'm getting out of here." Frannie hadn't gone more than a step before Bill was in front of her.

"Frannie, SIT DOWN." Bill's tone was firm but calm, as Sookie felt his glamour rolling off him in waves. "You'll remain here and be quiet until I tell you otherwise."

"Sure thing." Frannie answered in the sing-songy voice that betrayed she was all but Bill's puppet now. "I'm feeling kinda tired anyway, it's been a long night."

Eric looked over at Bill as Frannie retook her seat and nodded his approval. They'd never been friends but it was clear they were on the same page tonight.

"We need to prepare. Amelia can you do anything to strengthen the wards you've already put on the house?" Eric asked turning to Sookie's roommate.

Amelia's face betrayed her upset at having come home to find herself in the middle of something she clearly didn't think she should be. After Bill's explanation though, it seemed she understood leaving wasn't an option.

"We'll get right on it." She said, pulling Octavia with her into the kitchen.

"Bill what do you have at your house?" He continued.

"A few swords and stakes and some silver netting." He answered.

"Good, go over quickly and get them." He ordered.

Bill didn't even stop to nod before zipping out of the house. When they were alone in the living room Eric seemed prepared to ask Sookie something but instead he grabbed the side of his head suddenly. Rushing to him from her place beside Frannie's chair, Sookie covered Eric's hand with her own.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Sookie asked, her mood balanced on the razor's edge of panic as she watched Eric grimace as though he were in pain.

After a moment he seemed to get himself back together.

"I'm fine. It's nothing that won't keep." Was his cryptic reply as Bill zipped back into the house, locking the door securely behind him.

Without a word, Eric moved from Sookie's side and headed in the direction of the kitchen. He returned moments later holding her shotgun. Under different circumstances she would have questioned how he knew where it was, or even that it was in the house. The only time he'd been privy to the fact she kept it behind the water heater was when he'd been cursed. As it was, she simply accepted it when he held it out to her, taking off the safety and chambering the first round.

"If something gets past the wards and Bill and I, you shoot it." He commanded her before turning to Bill and accepting a sword and a stake from him. Eric was about to say something else when he lifted his head again. "Pam is here." He said going to the door. "Is her invitation still valid?"

"She should be right as rain."

"Rescind it." He ordered. When both Bill and Sookie looked at him as though he'd gone daft he explained. "You can issue her invitation again as soon as we test the wards."

"Pamela Ravenscroft I rescind your invitation."

It wasn't more than a minute before they heard Pam calling out.

"Sookie, this is so NOT the time for practical jokes!" To anyone who didn't know her well Pam sounded unruffled, but Sookie could hear the frayed notes in her voice as clear as day.

"I asked Sookie to rescind your invitation to test the warding on the house. How far can you get Pam?" Eric called out.

"Up to the porch steps. If I try to go father… I think this is what being nauseous used to feel like." She answered, sounding calmer now she understood what was going on.

"Can I let her in now?" Sookie asked, antsy to get her friend safe behind Amelia's strengthened wards.

"Yes." Eric answered already opening the door.

"Pam, get your butt in here."

As soon as the door closed behind her, Eric cupped Pam's cheek with his hand and bent to kiss her forehead. It was clearly as close to an apology as Eric had ever given her. Nodding her head in understanding, Pam took his hand from her face and squeezed it.

"What is left to do?" He asked Pam after a long moment.

"Nothing," she answered. "I sent the emergency code over text message to all the Area Vampires. If they know what's good for them, they're gone already." Holding her purse open she let Eric peek inside. "I have all the cash from the safe, and what little was in our American accounts has been moved offshore."

Waiting ended up being the only thing to do as they all gathered in the living room, the Humans sitting tensely as the Vampires watched the windows. When the anticipation became too much, Sookie began trying to think of anything she could do to help.

"Eric, should I call Claudine? Maybe she can contact_ someone _who might be able to help us." Sookie knew she hadn't ever been one for covertness or subtlety, but it was clear Eric more than understood her when he walked over to her, took her hand, and led her into the kitchen.

When they were in relative privacy he bent low so only she could hear him.

"Would Claudine pop herself alone into the middle of a Vampires feud?" He asked gravely.

Sookie felt herself deflate. Claudine had told her before she couldn't come to help when there were Vampires around. Fairy God Mother or not, it would be the same as committing suicide for her.

"No, if she came, she'd probably have to come with others. But maybe they could help. Eric, I…I can't lose you, not now. You heard Frannie, they're killing the other Sheriffs and they're saving their big guns for you!"

Eric pulled her close then, feeling her desperation. Holding her tightly he kissed her forehead, pushing as much reassurance as he could muster through their bond.

"If Claudine brought anyone with her it would start a war, something far greater and much more damaging than two Vampire factions brawling for territory. I can't take that chance. The last war was bloody and lasted for centuries. Call her now. Tell her you are safe, but make her ready, if things go badly here prepare her to find you once the sun is up."

"But Eric…." Sookie tried to argue but he cut her off with a kiss. His lips came down on hers long and hard, communicating all the love he had. When he pulled away his eyes were fierce and his fangs were down.

"I'm not prepared to lie down and admit defeat. I have no intention of meeting the final death tonight and leaving you. We are three Vampires, two witches and a telepath. We are not helpless and we are not defenseless. If they mean to harm us all they will get for it is a bloody massacre. Do not let yourself believe we are already beaten. _That_ is the surest way to lose a battle. Now call your cousin before they come."

Sookie could only nod her head, and put her trust in him. He'd never let her down before. She'd seen him fight and God help the Nevada Vampires if they pushed him to it.

"Alright." She conceded.

When Sookie walked back into the living room, after having called Claudine, she found everyone exactly where they'd been before. Bill and Pam each manning a living room window, Octavia and Amelia sharing the couch, and Frannie, still glamoured out of her senses, in her Gran's armchair.

"Did you reach her?" Eric asked, from his position standing in front of the fireplace.

"She understands. If she doesn't hear from me by sun up she'll send out the Cavalry." Sookie answered, coming to stand beside him.

As if they'd been waiting for their cue, the sounds of several cars coming up the drive alerted everyone that time was up. Sookie watched as Pam and Bill stepped farther away from the windows, making sure they weren't visible to the people outside, and after what felt like ten years, but was probably less than a full minute, there was a knock from outside. It was far enough away, Sookie was sure the person was knocking on one of the wood beams supporting the porch instead of the door.

"Who's there?" Sookie called out.

"It is I, the Vampire Victor Madden." A voice responded, almost cheerfully.

Sookie didn't even have to turn and look at Eric to feel the turmoil churning around inside him. Whoever this Madden was, he was clearly a threat.

"Do you come as a friend or an enemy?" She called out again, not sure why. That he was an enemy seemed as though it was already perfectly clear.

"That's entirely for you to decide." Their visitor answered. "Do I have the pleasure of speaking to Sookie Stackhouse, famed telepath?"

"You have the pleasure of speaking with Sookie Stackhouse, barmaid." She called back, only to hear a hearty laugh from outside.

"Then Sookie Stackhouse, famed barmaid, may I enter?"

"Just you?" Sookie countered instead of giving him the invitation he was looking for.

"Just me." The Vampire Victor Madden answered.

Turning towards Eric, she found him standing right behind her. Before she could ask him if she should let Madden in, he'd taken her in his arms again, kissing her hard and sure, all but stealing her breath. When they pulled apart, Eric was wearing an expression she couldn't quite place. Pressing her forehead to his, he kissed her nose softly.

"They'll spare you." He whispered, relief pouring out of him. "You're too unique to waste. If it comes to it, _do not_ allow worry for me to cloud your judgment. Do what you must and Claudine will come for you." Eric's voice was fierce as he reminded her of her cousin.

"I am NOT leaving this house without you, Eric." She whispered back, her voice as fierce as his had been, before looking past him to the rest of the people in the room. "We're in this together, All of us!"

When she saw her friends all nod their heads, she turned around and raised her voice again so it could be heard outside.

"Victor Madden come in."


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: **Here's the end of the takeover. From here on out I'm only going to be following the book to the slightest degree but, like I said last chapter, I thought the takeover needed to happen. If anyone is missing them, I'm thinking there will be another flashback either next chapter or the one after. Okay I'm rambling.**

**I'm just going to say thank you to my amazing beta, **Northman Maille,** and to everyone who's still with me. I'm very grateful!**

Disclaimer: **I own nothing….**

"**It's All Decided for Us"**

As soon as Victor Madden's invitation had been issued, Eric gently but quickly maneuvered Sookie behind him once more and opened the door. Now safely accepted by the house wards, the Vegas Vampire stared inside, a smirk on his lips.

"Eric Northman…I haven't seen you in a few decades." Victor's voice was as jovial as it had been a few minutes before, when he'd introduced himself so grandiosely.

"You've been hard at work in the desert." Was Eric's neutral reply.

"Indeed, business is booming. It's what I've come to talk to you about, among other things. May I…" Victor said the last as he gestured towards the inside of the house. He'd already been invited in, but that hadn't removed the thousand year old roadblock still standing in his way.

"How many are with you?" Eric asked, instead of stepping aside.

"Ten, nine Vampires and Quinn." Still at his side, Sookie whispered low enough only Eric could hear.

"I have four companions with me." Victor lied, smooth as silk, while still smiling from ear to ear.

"I think the desert heat has impaired your ability to count Victor. There are ten with you, nine Vampires and a Were."

Instead of being upset or unnerved, Victor only chuckled gratingly as he nodded his head.

"I see there's no pulling the wool over your eyes, old sport. I assume the lovely Miss Stackhouse is to blame for the failure of my ruse?"

"Let them step out into the open so I can see them." Eric countered instead of giving Victor an answer.

Turning around Victor addressed the darkened woods surrounding the Stackhouse farmstead.

"Well…come, come, you heard the Sheriff, show yourselves. We have much to do tonight."

Victor's command brought the others out of the tree line and onto the graveled driveway one by one. Jonathan, the spy, was the first to emerge and Quinn the last. Though it was no surprise at this point, Sookie felt her heart clench a little as she took him in, standing by one of the cars in his animal form.

She'd come to terms with the fact she'd been using him to ease her pain at losing Eric and had never really had any genuine feelings for him, but it didn't make his actions any less hurtful. To see a man she'd shared parts of herself with, shared her body with, come forward as an accomplice to what might still be her murder, and the murder of those she loved, was like a sucker punch to the gut. Suddenly all she wanted to do was wrap herself around Eric and try to bury herself in the smell and feel of him in the hope it would make her feel clean again.

Sookie was still trying to get a hold of herself when Bob strutted in front of them, rubbing himself along Eric's legs.

"That's not just a cat." Victor stated, the question apparent in his voice.

"Neither is the one outside."

Quinn seemed to make a snuffling sound at Eric's words, which Sookie understood was meant as some sort of apology for betraying her, but she couldn't even look at him in acknowledgement. She understood the situation he'd been put in, but she was past being able to forgive him.

It would have been bad enough if he'd decided to sell her out because she'd left him for Eric. Instead it was even worse. He'd betrayed her even while she was leaving pathetic messages on his cell phone begging him to call her and let her know he was alright. Had he listened to her telling him how much she missed him, and wished they were together, before he turned around and told Nevada's King where she lived, and how he could use her as leverage against Eric? It made her want to vomit just remembering some of her more desperate voicemails.

Eric and Victor seemed to have come to an impasse. With no other options to stall him, Eric was forced to step aside and let the rival Vampire in. Victor crossed the threshold gingerly, smiling a little wider when he managed to make it into the house. Once he was through his eyes landed almost immediately on Sookie.

"Reports of your attractions were not exaggerated." Victor pronounced, his smile thinning a bit as it turned almost predatory.

Sookie tried to hold back the shiver his words caused. On any other man a statement like that would have sounded flirtatious but, after Victor's little lie about how many people were with him, she was almost sure he was alluding to her telepathy and not her physical appearance. It made his words more unnerving and not less, especially when it was followed by an itchy pressure on her brain.

Madden was attempting to glamour her.

If she had to guess she'd bet he wanted her to invite the others into the house. It took everything she had not to growl as she batted his influence away.

All told it was less than a minute before their 'guest' realized his whammy had no effect on her and she watched as he smoothly passed off his pause by taking in the others in the room. He quickly greeted the other Vampires first, Pam before Bill, and then turned his attention to the witches, complimenting Amelia and Octavia on their excellent wards, before settling narrowed eyes on Frannie.

Sookie felt a passing pang of guilt that she hadn't thought to hide her, and wondered if the Vegas Vampires wouldn't turn around and punish Quinn for sending his sister to warn them. Angry and hurt as she was by what Quinn had done, she had no desire to be a factor in his death, or an excuse for anyone to hurt his family.

Trying to distract their leader, Sookie gestured to the only open chair, which stood next to the fireplace.

"Would you like to sit Mr. Madden?" She asked.

Victor nodded, his expression again cheerful, as though he were merely visiting with old friends. Before he was fully settled, Amelia and Octavia had given up their positions on the couch, moving behind Bill and Pam so Sookie and Eric could sit.

Without wasting any more time Victor pinned Eric with a slightly less blithe expression.

"Your Queen is dead." His words carried no emotion this time, pretended or otherwise.

"And the other Sheriffs?" Eric asked, his face and tone matching Victor's neutrality.

"They are also dead. Cleo and her crew fought bravely, but were killed nonetheless. Arla and Gervaise tried to hide from us, but they were ferreted out quickly. My spies did their jobs admirably. There were no hiding places we weren't already aware of." Victor's expression this time was sinister and fangy, and Sookie was sure this was closer to his true personality than the affability he'd feigned before.

"Why am I still alive?"

"Because you're the most efficient, the most productive, and the most practical." Gesturing to Bill behind them, Victor elaborated. "Between Bill and Maxwell Lee you have two of the biggest earners in the state under your fealty and, of course, it doesn't hurt that you have a telepath renowned for her talents in your employ."

Before Victor could say more Eric interrupted him.

"She is not in my employ. Sookie is mine!" Eric informed, his tone firm.

Far from challenging an assertion she'd found grating and demeaning in the past, Sookie sat closer to Eric and put her hand over one of his, demonstrating the truth of his statement. It got another fangy smile and a chuckle from Madden.

"Really?" He said, cocking his head to the side. "There are those outside who will no doubt be shocked to hear that." Taking a sampling of the air surrounding him he made an appreciative noise. "I however see no evidence to discount your statement. As it stands, it's more cause for my King to wish to keep you in your current position. King DeCastro bade me to tell you, as long as you will swear fealty to him, he would be pleased to keep you on as Sheriff of Area Five."

"I suppose there's no point in asking what will happen if I refuse." Eric voice was bland.

"None whatsoever. However, if you were to ask, I would inform you my men are prepared to firebomb the house and pick you off as you flee."

There was a single moment when Sookie could almost feel the wheels in Eric's head turning. If he'd been a less honorable or loyal man she knew he would have told Madden to go fuck himself, grabbed her and Pam each around the waist, and simply taken to the air with them securely in his grip. Instead he acknowledged the fact that they were left with little in the way of options and what choice there was rested entirely on his shoulders. If he refused, he refused for all of them, and they were all as good as dead.

"I accept the sovereignty of you King." Eric said, after little more than a moment.

"Ms. Ravenscroft?" Victor asked, turning next to Pam.

"Were my Maker leads I follow. I accept DeCastro as my King." Pam said without hesitation.

"Bill Compton?" Victor turned last to Bill who nodded his head and made a slight bow.

"Like Ms. Ravenscroft; I follow where my Sheriff leads."

Under other circumstances Sookie would have laughed out loud to hear Bill say something like that. Instead she stifled her natural inclination and watched silently as Victor stood from his chair.

"Excellent. I will inform his Majesty and leave you to attend to what needs looking after. I too have much that still needs doing before dawn. I will meet with you at first dark tomorrow night at Fangtasia so we can begin acclimating you to his Majesty's requirements." With that Victor stood, striding gracefully to the armchair where Frannie was still sitting and hauled the girl out of her seat roughly, by her elbow.

Sookie made a move to get up as well, not wanting to see Frannie treated so harshly, no matter how much of a pill she'd been, but Eric's hand came down on her thigh like an iron clamp. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him shake his head infinitesimally.

"She's Quinn's concern." He whispered.

There was a split second when Sookie wanted to argue, but beyond the fact Eric was right, the starker truth was they were in no position to demand anything from Victor Madden. They kept their own lives tonight at his whim, there was no way they could bargain for anyone else's.

Instead of say anything, Sookie just watched as Madden escorted the still glamoured girl out the door and down the porch steps to where her agitated brother waited. She doubted it was accidental that they were all able to hear Victor hiss his next statement to the huge Siberian tiger cowering like a timid house cat at his feet.

"We will discuss_ this_," Victor shook Frannie roughly, "later."

As soon as the door closed behind Victor, everyone seemed to shake off the crippling air of terror which had hung over the living room like a fog.

"Pam, contact the Area Vampires. Call them back and have them gather at Fangtasia at three thirty, we need to inform them of the change in management before anyone breaks rank and causes trouble." Eric instructed as he stood from the couch and walked over to the window, still wary even as he took in the welcome emptiness outside.

Pam's response was a solemn nod before pulling out her phone. As she talked and texted Ameila and Octavia took the opportunity to flee upstairs. Sookie was sure they wanted to be as far away from any Vampire as they could while still remaining safely inside the house's wards. As for Bill, he began quietly collecting the weapons he'd brought so he could return them to his house before going to Fangtasia.

Thinking she should probably make herself useful too, Sookie tried to rise from her side of the couch only to feel her legs unexpectedly give out. She was almost shocked when she found herself crashing back to the sofa.

It had all be so surreal, realizing their lives hung in the balance while watching Victor and Eric dance around each other, pretending they were doing nothing more than catching up with an old buddy. A part of her still couldn't believe they were all alive and, at least for the moment, safe. She truly couldn't remember the last time Vampire trouble hadn't gotten her shot, beaten, or practically blown up.

Before she could give into the desire to start laughing hysterically though, Bill was in front of her, concern lighting his dark eyes.

"Darling, you're overcome." Bill pronounced, matter-of-factly.

"I guess. it's been a rough night." Sookie answered staring down at her hands instead of returning Bill's intense gaze. It_ had_ been a rough night, too rough for one of Bill's 'declarative moments'.

"Surely you know you were never in any danger." Bill said, confidence lacing his voice. "You know I wouldn't have let Victor hurt you. I would have died willingly to prevent it. That's why I chose to stay instead of fleeing like the other Vampires of the Area, to make sure you were protected."

The urge to laugh was back and stronger than ever. Only this time that laughter would have been specifically aimed at Bill. It was nice, she supposed, that he wanted to protect her, but it was downright terrifying that he might be delusional enough to believe he'd had any power in the situation that just played out. At no point in the last two hours had any of them been in anything but mortal danger.

She noticed then, though his words were impassioned, he was clearly making an effort not to touch her. This speech then was obviously a ploy for brownie points. Either Bill really was suffering a severe mental glitch, or he believed that by offering to die for her he would prove he was a superior mate to Eric.

Already emotionally drained, Sookie decided it wasn't worth the effort to amend his thinking yet again tonight. Bill couldn't know that Eric had already proved there was no one more worthy of her love by_ living_ for her, and frankly he didn't deserve to. What was between her and Eric was too sacred to be spouted off in the hopes of correcting the delusions of a person like Bill, or Sam for that matter. Instead Sookie just lifted her eyes to Bill's and patted his hand gently.

"That's sweet of you Bill. But I'm Eric's and you don't have an ice cube's chance in hell of changing that. You need to find something worth living for," turning to look at Eric who had taken his attention away from the window and was calmly watching her handle her ex, "just like I have." She could feel the pride and the love coursing to her from her Viking, and it was the only thing that could bring a smile to her face at this point.

Looking hurt Bill stood away from her. It seemed as though he wanted to say something more, but instead he merely nodded his head and finished gathering his things to leave. He was barely out the door when Pam declared she would head out to Shreveport right away to prepare for their meeting. Once she was gone, it took Sookie a moment to realize she and Eric were finally alone again.

Without words, Eric walked around the couch, taking her hand in his and leading her gently, careful of her shaky legs, to her bedroom.

When they were finally there, he sat down on the bed and pulled her into his lap, burying his face in her neck and inhaling her scent deeply.

"Are we really safe?" Sookie asked, winding her arms around Eric's neck and resting her cheek on the top of his head, rubbing it into his hair.

"I believe so. If Victor was sent to kill us, he wouldn't have bothered with such an elaborate charade. It seems we've all made ourselves just useful enough to earn a reprieve. It will likely be touch and go for a while though. Any hint of suspicion could have DeCastro and Madden changing their minds." He said it all without once raising his head from the cocoon he'd made of her hair and neck.

"Will you tell me now what happened before, when you grabbed your head? You seemed as though you were in pain, but I didn't feel anything."

Her question made him laugh softly against the crook of her shoulder, before he finally lifted his head to look her in the eye.

"I would have thought you'd forgotten all about that with everything else that's happened tonight."

"I love you. I was terrified for you the whole night. Victor, some mysterious ailment, it doesn't matter." Sookie couldn't help but feel her fear for him all over again as she spoke and it was impossible to keep the tears from slipping down her cheeks.

"You have the worst survival instincts of anyone I've ever met, Lover." Eric laughed warmly, even as he used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "Most people would have been scared for their own lives, and quite rightly."

Sookie could only raise an eyebrow at Eric's words.

"So I take it you're only concern tonight was your own life then and nothing else? You weren't in the least bit worried for me." Sookie nodded as though she were in complete agreement. "Which ya know, completely explains that kiss you pulled me into right before we opened the door and how you all but fell over in relief when you realized Victor wouldn't kill me." Sookie was proud to see the scowl line form between Eric's brows as she called him on his hypocrisy. When he didn't answer her after a long moment she gave him a smile of her own. "You were just as worried for me as you were for yourself, and I was more worried for you because I knew he wouldn't kill me. My fear was the exact opposite. That I'd be forced to live after they ended you. So shut up. We love each other. Being scared for the person you love more than anything is perfectly normal. Now stop stalling and tell me what happened before."

Eric would have laughed again, but Sookie pinned him with a warning glare that had him taking his hands off her long enough to hold them up in surrender.

"I remember." He said simply. "I remember everything. I don't know what triggered it or why, but…." Eric didn't get the chance to finish as Sookie's arms came around him again, this time strongly enough they would have choked a Human man.

"Oh Eric!" It was only a moment more before he felt the hot dampness of her tears soaking into his shirt.

Pulling Sookie back slightly he cupped her cheeks in his hands.

"It shouldn't surprise me how happy you made me or how much I loved you, but somehow it does." He bent down and kissed her lips softly.

"Why?" Sookie pulled back after only a moment, a look of genuine confusion on her face.

"Maybe because it's a reminder that what I feel for you, what I've always felt for you, is the truest thing I have ever known. Because it's proof undeniable that what's between us isn't the product of a thousand years of idolization. I knew nothing before running down that road, and yet my heart still led me to you. When there was nothing left of the man I was, you still remained, filling my emptiness with your light."

"If you're trying to get me to stop crying, you're failing big time…. I love you so damn much!" Was the only thing Sookie could say in response, as she squeezed him harder.

"And I you." Eric whispered back, folding Sookie back into his arms and holding her as tightly as he dared. "I have to go to Fangtasia soon. Will you come with me?" He asked after a moment.

"You have so much to do. I don't want to be a distraction." She said, shaking her head.

"You're not a distraction." Eric countered getting to his feet and taking her with him.

"Yes, I am." Sookie dug in her heels even though every fiber in her body wanted nothing more than to stay glued to Eric's side all night. "You need to meet with your Vampires and you need to get ready for your meeting with Victor tomorrow night. You said it yourself, one wrong move, one thing that tingles Victor' spidey sense, and he could decide to call the whole 'welcoming you into the fold' thing off. I'm not taking that kind of chance. I'd rather sleep without you for one night than risk losing you for good."

When Eric's unhappiness all but battered Sookie back down onto the bed, she smiled softly and wrapped her arms around him for one last hug.

"How bout if we compromise?" She said, her voice muffled in the folds of his shirt.

"What did you have in mind?" Eric's voice was slightly sour, but there was curiosity there.

"How bout if I stay here tonight but come and meet you at Fangtasia tomorrow evening, after your meeting?"

Eric's finger under her chin raised her eyes to meet his and she could see something blazing behind them.

"I'll agree to your terms with one caveat." When Sookie raised her eyebrow in question he continued. "You come to meet me at Fangtasia tomorrow with a packed bag and you agree to stay with me."

Sookie's first inclination was to ask for how long, to point out she had a job and responsibilities she couldn't just turn her back on, but something made her stop. Hadn't she asked him earlier in this very endless seeming night to keep his promise, to bring her to his side? Wasn't that the only thing she'd wanted?

"You've got a deal." Was all she said instead.


End file.
